Episode 43

Yvonne knew that showing fear when he acted this way would only make things worse.

“That sounds good too.”

Her calm response surprised Hildebrandt, causing him to roughly grab her chin.

“Does the Princess even know what that means?”

It was a blatant taunt. Despite rumors of Yvonne having bedroom slaves, he knew she had never been close to any man. Marquis Rohan was left alone because he was useful, while those without value were all killed under the pretext of cherishing her.

“Do you even know how it’s done?”

“…No.”

“Hah.”

He looked down at her with a deflated expression. Yvonne gazed back at him with a face that genuinely seemed clueless.

“Isn’t it like making a vow with powers?”

“Do you want my heart?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I want you to have my heart, Dad.”

Her bold words slightly eased his mood. He gestured for more alcohol, but instead of taking the glass, he grabbed the bottle. The chamberlain quickly opened the bottle for him.

Hildebrandt drank directly from the bottle, looking at Yvonne.

“What use do I have for your lowly heart?”

“Oh…”

As she looked down with a hurt expression, he didn’t want her to look away and forced her chin up. Her beautiful amethyst-like eyes were moist, meeting his gaze.

“When you become the emperor, you’ll take a husband.”

“…”

“And you’ll bear Marquis Rohan’s children.”

“Dad.”

“Breeding like a stud horse, having children. The royalty is no different, is it?”

Yvonne disliked Hildebrandt when he was drunk. He always seemed unhinged, but it was worse with alcohol. And today, even before drinking, he had been more intense than usual.

“Dad, I don’t want to marry anyone.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you. I don’t want to be emperor, I just want to stay by your side as a princess until I die.”

She knew well what he wanted to hear. She believed he desired a princess who sought his affection without craving power.

All of Yvonne’s words stemmed from this belief. However, she seemed unaware of how much these words provoked Hildebrandt.

“What about the imperial heir?”

“There are cadet branches.”

“You’d adopt one?”

“Yes.”

Hildebrandt emptied another bottle and gestured for another. Yvonne noticed he was drinking faster than usual today and wondered what mistake she had made. But she couldn’t figure it out.

“Ridiculous.”

As he received another bottle and began drinking, Yvonne’s worry grew. If he got any more drunk, things would get out of hand.

But she had no way to stop him.

“If you bring in someone else as the empress, I’ll be fine with it. I don’t really remember my mother anyway.”

“…”

“It’s fine if their child inherits the throne. Just stay by my side…”

The emperor, as if to silence her, grabbed her tongue.

“Why are you so annoying today?”

“Ugh…”

He let go of her tongue as she lowered her gaze.

“Even so, I like it when you’re here with me, Dad.”

“Really? Then shall I sleep here tonight?”

“Yes.”

She answered quickly, knowing he wouldn’t. Hildebrandt, seemingly placated, drank his liquor slowly.

Yvonne thought that she was somehow weak to beauty. Even in a situation where her life was at risk, she found his snowy white hair and sapphire blue eyes stunning.

“Come up here.”

“What?”

“Sit here.”

Hildebrandt handed the empty bottle to the chamberlain.

Yvonne stood up and sat on his thigh as he instructed. She wasn’t under any hypnotic spell to obey his commands. She just knew it would calm him if she complied.

“Not like that. Straddle my lap.”

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t know what he intended, but as she climbed onto his lap,

“Ugh…”

“That dress is too heavy and bothersome.”

“Yes.”

Yvonne had to suppress a sigh. She stood by the sofa and undid the heavy outer dress herself, leaving only a thin evening dress.

“Shall I take it off?”

“Do you want to show that knight your bare skin?”

“No.”

“Then come here.”

“Yes.”

Yvonne deliberately avoided looking at Francis as she moved. In her lighter attire, Hildebrandt made no further comments.

She sat on his lap facing him as instructed.

“I’ll pierce your ears.”

“What?”

She was surprised since her ears were already pierced.

“Three on each side.”

“Ah…”

The chamberlain, noticing Hildebrandt’s instructions, whispered something to the attendants and maids.

“Alright. If it’s you, Dad.”

“Pierce yours, and then you’ll pierce mine.”

“Yes.”

“Then I won’t get angry anymore.”

Yvonne didn’t believe him at all.

“Alright.”

But she had no choice but to agree. She recalled that in the original story, the emperor had pierced Princess Yvonne’s ears too.

“Is this a potion?”

“Yes. To close the holes and pierce them again.”

“Oh…”

She accepted it without protest. The maids brought a small tray with needles, antiseptic, and a potion. The room grew silent as Hildebrandt took a needle and began to sterilize it with the antiseptic.

“Stay still,” he commanded, his voice softer but still carrying authority.

Yvonne remained motionless, feeling the cool touch of the needle as he prepared to pierce her ears anew. The sensation was sharp, but she kept her eyes on him, focusing on his face rather than the pain.

“There, all done.”

Hildebrandt said, stepping back to admire his work.

“Now, your turn.”

Yvonne hesitated but took the needle, sterilizing it as he had. Her hands trembled slightly as she approached his ear, but he stayed perfectly still, watching her with a steady gaze.

She pierced his ear carefully, trying to match his calm demeanor. When it was done, she stepped back, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.

“Good.”

He said, reaching for the potion. He applied it to both their ears, ensuring the piercings would heal properly.

“Thank you, Dad.”

Yvonne said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Remember, you belong to me,” Hildebrandt replied, his tone possessive yet affectionate.

“Yes, Dad.”

She answered, knowing that her compliance was the only thing keeping the fragile peace between them.

Yvonne couldn’t understand the emperor’s strange behavior. Meanwhile, Hildebrandt was trying to remember the promise she had made to him.

“Why are you doing this?”

“This was pierced by my uncle.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Nonsense.”

“Oh… okay.”

Hildebrandt considered erasing her memory, but he decided against it. He could just blame it on drunken babbling.

He sighed as he glanced at the attendant coming with a cotton ball soaked in a healing potion. He took it and pressed it firmly against Yvonne’s ear. He did the same to the other ear.

The ear that was already pierced healed perfectly and became clean when the potion touched it.

“Dad.”

“Yes.”

“I’m a little scared.”

“Then just hold on to me. That will be fine.”

“Okay.”

Yvonne hesitated for a moment at Hildebrandt’s cold but kind words, then she hugged his neck as he said.

“If you hold me like that, I can’t pierce your ears.”

“Oh…”

So she loosened her arms and sat down, putting her weight on her hips.

‘Hilde, I’ll pierce your ears for you.’

“What?”

“What’s wrong?”

Yvonne was surprised by the voice that passed by. She didn’t think she had ever said that, and she wondered when she could have said such a thing.

She suspected it might be another trace of hypnosis.

But those words were just something Yvonne had said to Hildebrandt a long time ago.

“Dad. Did I say I’d pierce your ears?”

Hildebrandt froze with his alcohol-soaked hands in the air.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I said that before, but I’m not sure.”

Without answering, he rubbed her earlobe with the cotton. Then he took the awl handed to him by the attendant.

“Maybe I… ouch…!”

The emperor ignored her words and pierced her ear. One in the earlobe, another above it, and a third at the top.

With three consecutive sounds, her ear was pierced three times, and Yvonne couldn’t speak due to the pain. She hugged him again to signal him to stop, but he pushed her shoulders away and said,

“There’s still one more side left.”

“Oh…”

“Should I do only one on this side?”

“…Yes.”

Hildebrandt laughed as if he found it amusing and pierced it right away.

“Ouch…”

“You’re such a crybaby.”

With three piercings at once, the blood from her ear dripped down her neck and onto her white underdress.

The emperor, who thought it looked like a rose on the snow, watched her intently. Although he was drunk and hazy, her expression as she looked at him seemed clear.

“Your expression has turned harsh.”

“No, it hasn’t.”

Realizing she had been glaring at him, Yvonne smiled gently and looked at Hildebrandt again.

“Look at me like that again.”

“What?”

“Look at me like that again.”

For some reason, he liked her glaring at him.

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

Hildebrandt felt good as Yvonne’s fierce eyes looked at him. It was as if she was focusing entirely on him.

“Dad.”

“Yes.”

“There’s blood on you.”

Wanting to get up, Yvonne said so, and Hildebrandt laughed at her.

“The blood has a nice scent.”

He thought Yvonne’s blood smelled sweet, mixed with a tangy scent. Laughing at that, he looked at her with glacier-cold eyes.

“Now you have to pierce my ears, daughter.”

It was time for revenge.