Episode 132

“Ugh…”

Yurian staggered, a wave of dizziness washing over him. It wasn’t Hildebrandt’s hypnosis—something else was clawing through his mind.

“There’s one other man just as mad for my Yvonne as you are.”

“It’s been a while, Lord Leonhardt.”

“Marquess Rohan!”

Yurian shouted, drawing his sword. Hildebrandt took a step back, and Francis moved to shield him.

“The one who killed your parents… is now Her Highness, Princess Yvonne.”

“Stop…!”

“Forget everything about the Princess you knew before.”

Yurian could feel his thoughts spiraling into chaos.

Yvonne—the woman he loved. There was no way she could have killed his parents.

“If not for you, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstanding between me and Her Highness.”

“You’re delusional.”

Marquess Rohan truly resented Yurian. He believed everything—his failed love, Yvonne slipping away—was because of him. If Yvonne had held no feelings for Yurian, then even under Hildebrandt’s manipulation, she wouldn’t have left him. That’s what Rohan believed.

“If you don’t behave… I’ll kill Yvonne.”

Yurian froze at the Emperor’s threat.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“No.”

In that moment, Hildebrandt used his power on Yurian.

“Do you love Yvonne?”

“Yes.”

“Is that why you stopped just now?”

“It is.”

“Ha.”

Yurian was powerless now, overwhelmed by the blend of Hildebrandt’s and the Marquess’s abilities. No—even if he could resist, he wouldn’t have. Not with Yvonne’s life on the line.

* * *

Back at the imperial palace, Yvonne gave up trying to understand the Emperor’s actions.

“From now on, my daughter will be participating in affairs of state alongside me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And next month, she’ll be formally invested as Crown Princess. Anyone object?”

He was no longer the kind of emperor who would accept opposition over her ability awakening.

This was the audience chamber, where the ministers stood in rows, facing the Emperor and Princess Yvonne, who was seated beside him. Never before had her face been revealed so openly. It was always hidden behind a bonnet and veil.

But now, her radiant silver hair and face were in full view. Yet none of the ministers remembered what Yvonne originally looked like, so no one realized she wasn’t the Emperor’s real daughter. Even if someone did catch on, they wouldn’t have had the courage to speak it aloud.

Yvonne glanced toward Yurian standing in the distance. The change in his gaze told her everything—Hildebrandt had done something to him again.

So she deliberately acted indifferent toward Yurian. If their eyes even met, the Emperor would surely make her suffer for it.

She simply couldn’t comprehend the Emperor. He treated her like a possession and kept her in his bedchamber—yet he never laid a hand on her. He fretted over the earrings in her ears, but had no grasp of her emotions.

Sometimes when she spoke, Hildebrandt would reply as if he hadn’t understood a thing, giving an answer that made no sense. Of course, Yvonne didn’t know it was because of the self-hypnosis Hildebrandt placed on himself.

“The idea to raise the Berngang embankment came from my daughter.”

“Her Highness the Crown Princess is wise, just like Your Majesty!”

“We’ll provide our full support.”

“We’ll ensure that Her Highness experiences no inconvenience and take immediate action.”

As expected, the ministers agreed with the Emperor. They were the kind who would throw themselves flat if he so much as coughed. Even so, their skills were competent. That too was because of Hildebrandt’s hypnosis. While their greed for money remained, they were all conditioned to do their utmost in their duties.

So even with Hildebrandt’s erratic rule, the ministers handled state affairs diligently. Thanks to that, the Bricesys Empire continued to thrive. No matter how depraved the Emperor became, the government continued to function like a well-oiled machine.

“How is it? Do you think you can handle it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Yvonne replied like a doll. Her gaze shifted now to Marquess Rohan, who had returned. Though his condition was wretched, he was neatly dressed and stood again in his old place as a strategist.

The Emperor was a fickle man. So no one dared question who he appointed or cast aside.

* * *

Yvonne was having a nightmare.

In the dream, she loved Hildebrandt. But there were two of him. One was the real Hildebrandt she truly loved, and the other—a fake.

She often confused the two. They looked exactly alike.

Except… one of them had a beauty mark beneath his eye. The problem was, even she couldn’t remember whether the real one had the mark or not.

‘I love you, Hilde.’

The one without the mark glared at her with a gaze filled with disgust as she spoke. He looked at her with tears in his eyes, like he was seething. The one smiling wore imperial robes.

‘What do you like about me?’
‘I love everything about you, Hilde.’

She reached out and held the Emperor’s hand, bringing it to her cheek. The scowling Hildebrandt bit his lip. And just then, the emperor in her grasp vanished—someone else’s hand reached out and slammed her to the ground.

‘I hate you.’
‘Then kill me, Hilde.’

Yvonne welcomed that touch. If he would only twist her neck and end it, she might finally feel peace.

“Kuh…!”

Yvonne jolted awake, her nose stinging like she had just fallen into water.

“Yuri…an…!”

Yurian was staring at her with a cold, hardened gaze. This wasn’t a dream.

She was surrounded by a dome of water, her head encased in a bubble-like sphere. She felt like her face alone had been dunked under.

“What was your reason for killing my parents?”

“Hah…!”

In that moment, the water receded. Soaked, Yvonne pushed herself up from the bed. She hadn’t fallen asleep in Hildebrandt’s chambers tonight. She’d finally managed a restful sleep—only for someone to come disrupt it.

“Yurian…!”

“We’re not on a first-name basis anymore, are we?”

Yurian fiddled with the ring on his finger—the one imbued with borrowed elemental power. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the princess directly.

He truly believed Yvonne was the one who had killed his parents. And yet, the moment he saw her again in the audience chamber, his heart had pounded wildly… like he was falling in love at first sight.

If it were the old Yurian, he’d have ended her on the spot. But now, he couldn’t.

If she were to die by his hands, he felt he might kill himself right after. If she were cut by his blade—he feared he might turn that blade on his own neck.

It was strange. She should have been his enemy, the one who took everything from him.

So how could he fall for her at first sight?

That’s why he’d gone to one of his subordinates—a man with elemental powers—and had the ability infused into a ring.

“Why… are you doing this?”

“Hah. Did you have the same innocent expression when you killed my parents?”

In that instant, Yvonne realized it had been Marquess Rohan who placed the ability on Yurian. If it had been Hildebrandt’s hypnosis, Yurian wouldn’t be questioning anything—he’d be blindly obedient. But now… the confusion in his eyes told her he was torn.

“I didn’t kill them. And if anyone’s been tormenting me to death, it’s you, Yurian.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Even when I told you to stop, you kept going… sweet-talking me through it.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Sex.”

Yurian was stunned. He had never met anyone who could shut him up like this.

“I liked it. Being with you.”

“…”

“It’s been a while since it was just the two of us in a bedroom.”

Yvonne was actually glad he seemed so rattled. Yurian was a physical enhancement-type. If he truly was nearing second awakening—as they said—then maybe… just maybe, he could break free of Marquess Rohan’s control.

“Come here.”

He absentmindedly touched the ring on his finger, and then, as if pulled by her reaching hand, he stepped closer.

“Your Highness, w-wait a moment—”

“No.”

Yvonne cupped his cheek and kissed him. He was flustered, but his body responded faster than memory, as if it knew her already.

“Mm…”

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he bit her lip and deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with a heat and familiarity that neither of them could deny.