Episode 65

“Dear, are you alright?”

“…Yes.”

Upon reaching the boat, Marquess Rohan pretended to be fine. But Yvonne knew better. He always claimed to be alright even when he wasn’t. She recognized the bitter smile he instinctively wore, and he was doing it again now.

“Just having you here with me makes me happy.”

“I love everything about you, my lady.”

“Save such words for home.”

“Even at home, it’s never enough.”

With that, he hugged Yvonne tightly. She glanced around to see the reactions of others, noting that the other noblewomen were slowly boarding boats with their husbands.

“Hold my hand.”

“Yes.”

Marquess Rohan gripped Yvonne’s hand tightly as they boarded the boat. He disliked the swaying of the boat, but he could endure anything, even walking on fire, as long as he was with Yvonne. He helped her board the boat smoothly.

“And you, Baron, are you boarding alone?”

“Yes, I am fine by myself.”

Marquess Rohan sneered at Yurian.

“Why not join us?”

“Then I won’t refuse.”

Yurian boarded the boat with Yvonne and Marquess Rohan. As they settled in, the boatman drew a curtain to shade them from the sun.

“Kes, lean on me.”

“Yes.”

Once on the boat, Marquess Rohan felt a bit better. He wanted to show Yurian how close he was to Yvonne, so he pretended to be unwell and followed her lead, enjoying the way she stroked his hair and looked at him.

He subtly altered her memories of past boat trips, ensuring she remembered him as less troubled than he actually was. Yurian noticed the use of magic but couldn’t identify its nature. He knew the King of Apentina valued Marquess Rohan highly, but the specifics of his power were a well-kept secret.

Yurian suspected it was a mental ability of some sort.

“Your Grace, you seem easily frightened.”

“My husband’s fear is part of his charm.”

Yvonne answered before Marquess Rohan could, sensing his unease around Yurian. She instinctively felt wary of Yurian but wanted to ensure Marquess Rohan felt secure.

“I see.”

Yurian smiled but shot a glare at Marquess Rohan, who responded with a triumphant smile while holding Yvonne close.

* * *

“I still prefer to hold you, my lady. Will you sit on my lap?”

“Sure.”

Yvonne complied, sitting on Marquess Rohan’s lap. He inhaled her scent, looking at her as if entranced. Yurian also found her scent strangely affecting him.

Quick to observe, Yurian speculated that Yvonne might be a Guide. However, if she were truly bonded to a Sentinel, other Sentinels wouldn’t be able to sense her guiding scent. This led him to suspect that despite their appearance, the Rohans hadn’t fully bonded.

Yurian’s curiosity about the couple grew. They acted affectionate, but it was clear they weren’t like a fully bonded couple.

“I didn’t catch how you two met earlier.”

“Baron, you lack tact.”

“I’m simply in the habit of asking about things I’m curious about.”

Marquess Rohan frowned but softened when Yvonne looked at him. Yurian saw that Marquess Rohan’s feelings were genuine despite his other unpleasant traits. When it came to Yvonne, he couldn’t hide his adoration.

“I told you, I proposed because I liked him a lot.”

“Not just the conclusion, but the story.”

Marquess Rohan wondered if Yurian had regained his memories. His calm demeanor was unsettling given the circumstances.

“Baron, don’t you have a fiancée?”

“No, my standards are high.”

“What are your standards?”

“They’re quite particular.”

“Should I introduce you to someone?”

Yvonne interjected to ease the tension. Most of Apentina’s nobles were kind to her, partly due to Marquess Rohan, but also because she was good with people.

“…I’ll consider it.”

“Why don’t you tell us about your ideal partner?”

Marquess Rohan smiled at Yvonne’s question, feeling happy as she looked at Yurian expectantly.

“Someone who…”

“Yes?”

“Someone who treats me like a person.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not sure.”

Yurian felt confused by his own words and avoided eye contact. He couldn’t explain why he had said that, but it was a truth ingrained in him. It stemmed from his memories of Princess Yvonne treating him with humanity and kindness, unlike the beast others made him out to be.

“Your taste seems difficult to satisfy, Baron.”

“I think so too.”

Only Marquess Rohan understood the subtext of their conversation, feeling his blood run cold. He resented not having hypnosis powers like Hildebrandt, the highest tier of mental abilities. If he had those, Yvonne would love him as effortlessly as he loved her.

In that moment, the amulet given by his sister glowed within his chest.

“Oh my!”

As the boat moved along the water, a sudden gust of wind blew through. Thanks to Marquess Rohan’s tight embrace, Yvonne was unscathed, with only her hair slightly ruffled.

“Oh…”

The string around Yvonne’s neck had blown away, getting caught on a pole beside the curtain and flapping in the wind.

“I’ll get it for you, my lady.”

“It’s okay, you can leave it.”

“I’ll get it.”

When Yvonne momentarily stepped off his lap, Marquess Rohan climbed to retrieve it. It was dangerously high, but he had no choice but to scale the upper part of the boat. The amulet on his chest shimmered again, intensifying its power.

Marquess Rohan suddenly felt his fear of water diminish. He thought that if he were to fall into the lake now, perhaps Yvonne would finally realize her feelings for him. This impulsive thought stemmed from Yurian’s presence, which was clearly unsettling Yvonne.

Marquess Rohan glanced at Yvonne and Yurian. Yvonne looked anxiously at him, while Yurian watched her with an expression akin to a young boy in love. This made Marquess Rohan’s resolve even stronger.

He reached higher, pretending to stretch for the string, waiting for the wind to blow again.

Soon, a strong gust whipped the curtain, and he let himself slip deliberately.

Splash!

“Kes!”

Yvonne sprang up without hesitation, diving into the water after Marquess Rohan. Yurian, snapping back to reality, quickly followed her into the water.

Underwater, Yvonne opened her eyes and searched for Marquess Rohan. He appeared to be unconscious, floating still in the water. Panicking, she pulled him towards the surface. Yurian then took over, helping to drag Marquess Rohan back to the boat.

“Ahhh!”

“Duke Rohan!”

Nearby nobles shouted in alarm.

Yvonne, once back on the boat, looked at Yurian’s outstretched hand. He instinctively called out to her:

“Take my hand, Yvonne.”

Hearing Yurian call her by her name triggered a flood of memories for Yvonne.

‘Rohan’s side effect is sex addiction.’
‘Why are you siding with that bastard?’
‘I really dislike Yvonne.’
‘Call me by my name again. I like it when you do.’

She remembered that Yurian was indeed Duke Yurian Leonhardt and recalled his past actions towards her.

“I… I can get up on my own.”

“…”

Ignoring Yurian’s hand, Yvonne accepted the boatman’s help to get back on the boat. She immediately went to Marquess Rohan, who was lying still, and knew from the footsteps that Yurian was right behind her.

Yvonne slapped Marquess Rohan’s cheeks.

“Dear. Open your eyes, dear.”

But Marquess Rohan remained motionless. Panic set in as Yvonne realized that only Marquess Rohan could help her now. If he had fallen into the water, it was partly her fault too.

“Dear!”

In a moment of desperation, she checked if he was breathing by placing her hand over his mouth. Marquess Rohan wasn’t breathing.