Episode 67

The King of Apentina held a banquet to welcome the envoy.

However, what shocked everyone was the revelation that Yurian, who had been known as the aide of Grand Duke Leonhardt of the Bricesys Empire, was actually Yurian himself, and that he was the Grand Duke sent as the envoy.

Marchioness Zhanna, who had been enjoying a boat ride with Yvonne, and the nobles who had been with them at the time, were naturally astonished.

When it was revealed that he had already received permission from the King of Apentina to disguise his identity, everyone believed his words, thinking he was a pleasant person who wished to interact with people regardless of status.

After all, the exalted Grand Duke of the Bricesys Empire had gone to the trouble of posing as a mere baron, humoring others.

“You don’t look well, Duchess of Rohan.”

“Yes.”

Yvonne had come to the table to retrieve a glass of wine while Marquess Rohan was momentarily engaged in conversation with the King. Yurian didn’t miss the opportunity and followed her.

“Have a pleasant evening.”

She picked up a glass and immediately bid him farewell.

“Wait a moment.”

“Let go.”

“My apologies.”

Yurian quickly released Yvonne’s hand as she attempted to leave.

“That hurts.”

It wasn’t possible that it really did. He hadn’t grabbed her with any force. Yvonne had only said that because she didn’t want to be around him.

“There are many people waiting for you over there.”

“There are always people waiting for me wherever I go.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Yvonne found it amusing that Yurian spoke with such confidence, perhaps because she remembered him even from when he had been trapped in the dungeon, still maintaining his dignity.

However, she didn’t want to get close to him. The fact that she had regained her memory also meant that Yurian could regain his.

Still, she didn’t understand why Marquess Rohan had gone to such lengths to erase all her memories of Yurian.

Before her memory returned, all she could recall was Yurian’s name and the incidents related to him, but none of the details.

Yvonne felt troubled, wondering if it wasn’t also Marquess Rohan who was responsible for her lack of memories regarding Hildebrandt.

‘You suffered a mental collapse after the failure to lift the spell in the Holy Kingdom. So… I erased the memories of that place and reapplied my power, leaving the hypnosis placed by His Majesty untouched.’

Yvonne thought that she should trust his words, even if she found them hard to believe.

After all, he was someone who had sacrificed everything for her.

Moreover, without realizing it, she had even shared a bed with him.

It seemed that, while she might not love him, she was clearly afraid of him leaving her. That emotion was somewhat complex—akin to guilt, yet also like a hope that, if they stayed together, things might change someday.

“I want to get closer to you, Duchess.”

For this reason, Yvonne thought that she must neither converse with Yurian nor become close to him.

Yvonne was a person who took responsibility seriously. While she excelled at manipulating others, she didn’t want to treat Marquess Rohan, who was sincere with her, in such a way.

“I don’t keep anyone close except for my husband.”

“You’re anxious.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve noticed it before. Duchess of Rohan, you are excessively wary of me.”

“….”

“It’s as if you’re afraid of me.”

Yvonne found herself missing the way his blood-red eyes curved as if he were enjoying himself. Perhaps because of this unreasonable nostalgia, she felt even more disgusted.

“It’s not fear, it’s dislike. Enjoy yourself while you’re here as an envoy, and don’t spoil anyone’s mood.”

“….”

“And I really don’t want to see your face anymore. Goodbye.”

With that, Yvonne turned her back and walked away from him. She wanted to be with Marquess Rohan, but he had already left the banquet hall, following the King.

It was the first time he had left her behind like this, and she was flustered. She knew that if she waited, he would soon come running back to find her, but this time, she went to look for him herself.

The banquet hall felt suffocating.

In truth, even then, she didn’t desperately want to find him.

Perhaps because of what had happened last night, she found herself in a contradictory state—thinking she should be close to him, yet wanting to distance herself.

She stepped out into the corridor and ascended to the second floor. The second floor was abuzz with nobles engaged in various conversations. Yet, Yvonne felt stifled there as well.

So she headed to the terrace and drew the curtains.

Even though she was alone, she pulled the curtains closed, ensuring no one could enter.

She glanced at the glass of wine in her hand and then drank it. The amber-colored liquor was bitter but delicious. She downed it in one gulp and placed the glass on the terrace railing.

Below her, the fresh green grass swayed in the breeze.

The strong scent of hydrangeas wafted in the air, making Yvonne’s head throb.

Yet, the fragrance, which seemed to fill her lungs, oddly made her feel nostalgic.

“May I come in?”

“Yes.”

Yvonne, assuming it was a servant, granted permission. However, the person who entered after pulling back the curtain was not a servant.

It was Yurian, wearing a mask.

“Sigh.”

“You said you didn’t want to see my face, so…”

“You’re quite persistent.”

“Shall I leave?”

He was prepared to leave if she truly disliked him, but Yvonne found herself not wanting that, so she pressed her lips into a thin line.

“Bring me more wine.”

“Then may I stay beside you?”

“…Yes.”

“Understood.”

Yurian drew the curtain closed once more and headed back to the banquet hall. Within a few minutes, he returned with a bottle of wine.

“And the glasses?”

“There they are.”

“Isn’t it usual to bring two glasses?”

“I like drinking.”

Yvonne found his words strangely unsettling, as if she’d heard them before, and they made her wary.

“I’d prefer if you drank only a little, Yurian.”

“Are you concerned about me?”

Without realizing it, she had spoken out of habit, worrying about the person drinking with her. He wasn’t someone she needed to be concerned about, though. Moreover, she was startled that she had called him by his name.

“If you drink too much, there’ll be less for me.”

“Hahaha.”

He laughed heartily and approached her. Then, he opened the bottle and began to pour the wine into the glass.

But Yvonne, feeling impatient with drinking from the glass, snatched the bottle from him and took a deep swig.

“Ugh…”

The alcohol burned as it went down her throat. She lifted the bottle to check the label and realized it was the strongest liquor available on the market.

“This stuff could catch fire if you lit it.”

“Yes. It’s the best. It goes down smoothly.”

Yvonne wondered if by “smoothly,” he meant it set his throat on fire, but seeing his bright smile, she decided not to ask any more questions about the drink. Instead, she asked something else.

“Why do you want to get close to me? If you want something, just say it. I’ll do my best to accommodate, so you don’t have to bother me.”

Yurian, for some reason, didn’t like the way she spoke coldly to him, yet he also found her wary demeanor reminiscent of a cautious cat, making it hard to look away.

He vaguely understood that her wariness wasn’t because she disliked him.

“I feel strange whenever I see you, Duchess.”

“….”

Yurian took the bottle from Yvonne’s hand and drank. She started to feel on guard again. Even if he didn’t remember her due to Marquess Rohan’s powers, he might still harbor resentment.

“Yes.”

Yvonne responded absentmindedly, thinking about leaving. Then, Yurian handed the bottle back to her. She hesitated, recalling that he had drunk from it without hesitation after she did. She considered not drinking it, but the desire for more alcohol won out, and she decided not to worry about it.

“Ah.”

She took an even bigger swig than before and handed the bottle back to Yurian.

“What kind of strange feeling?”

“Whenever I see you, Duchess…”

He paused, sighed, then drank from the bottle as she had before, tipping it back to pour the liquor down his throat.

Then he spoke.

“My chest feels strange. My heart pounds, and my thoughts drift away. And I just want you to keep looking at me.”

“….”

“And more than anything, I feel like I want to kill you.”

“That makes sense. I can’t blame you.”

Yvonne thought it was only fair that he wanted to kill her. After what she had caused him to endure in the dungeon, it was natural for him to feel resentful.

“So that’s why you glare at me whenever I’m with my husband?”

“Yes. I feel like killing both of you.”

“I see.”

She felt somewhat relieved that he was being honest. After all, she remembered the oath Yurian had made to her.

“But you’ll never be able to kill me.”

“Why not?”

“Do you have a valid reason to?”

“…No.”

Yurian narrowed his eyes and looked closely at Yvonne, who smiled at him.

Blood rushed to his head, making it hard to think clearly again.

“Who knows, I might kill you right now.”

He said this and then threw the bottle to the ground. The shattering glass sent fragments flying everywhere, and Yvonne, watching the scene, looked at Yurian as he grabbed her by the throat.

“Go ahead, then. Try.”