Episode 68

As Yvonne’s throat was gripped, she stepped closer to Yurian.

With ease, he tore off the choker necklace she was wearing.

The black choker necklace fell to the floor without resistance.

He watched Yvonne closely as she stood before him in her sky-blue dress, gazing at him with an expression of boredom. She didn’t appear frightened; instead, she seemed to be waiting, as if nothing was wrong.

The skin of her neck felt soft to his fingertips. As he touched her, Yurian found the mask and gloves he was wearing to be suffocating. Almost instinctively, he removed the gloves from his hands and reached out to her neck again. Yvonne followed his lead as he pressed closer, pushing her against the terrace railing.

The cold stone of the railing felt hard against her back.

She lifted her chin and looked at Yurian.

Yurian felt as if he could get lost in Yvonne’s amethyst-like eyes.

Suddenly, Yvonne wanted to see his face. Although his eyes were filled with confusion, his expression was hidden by the mask.

Slowly, she raised her hand and untied the string at the back of his head.

The mask fell to the floor with a soft thud at his feet. Yvonne smiled, satisfied, as she looked at him. His heart pounded as he saw the playful smile on her face.

“What a strange expression, Grand Duke Leonhardt.”

She was pleased to see that he was flustered, just as she had hoped, and was now looking at her with a bewildered expression.

“I want you to…”

“….”

“I want you to only look at me.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I want to lock you in my mansion, where I am the only person who sees you every day.”

Yvonne assumed that the confusion on his face was born out of hatred.

“I want to make you wait for me, to make you yearn for me.”

“I see.”

She pushed Yurian away with her palm as he got too close. He was pushed back easily.

A glass touched by her elbow fell off the railing. With a clattering sound, Yurian seemed to regain his senses and stepped back.

“My apologies.”

“As long as you understand.”

With that, he hurriedly turned and left.

Yvonne found his behavior amusing, yet her chest felt strange.

As he fled, Yurian’s face had been so flushed.

That lingering image troubled her, leaving her feeling odd.

* * *

Marquess Rohan was having a private audience with the King of Apentina. Even though it was a royal party, the King had left everything to the Crown Prince and was instead chatting with him.

“I cannot express how fortunate we are to have you in our kingdom.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”

Marquess Rohan disliked having to continuously deal with the bothersome King of Apentina because of Yurian. However, Yurian was a powerful individual who could regain his memories at any time. It was natural to be wary, especially since Yurian wasn’t just a high-level ability user but an exceptional one.

The moment he let his guard down, Yurian would likely take Yvonne—who was everything to him—away.

Marquess Rohan found it suffocating to even breathe whenever he thought about it.

“This is something our Crown Prince has been developing.”

The King of Apentina smiled as he showed him a magic suppression device.

“A magic suppression device.”

“Yes. He’s working on changing the production system to expedite its manufacturing.”

The two of them walked through the workshop within the royal palace, where no one else was present.

Outside the workshop, there would be knights and maids protecting the King. However, the King of Apentina cherished Marquess Rohan so much that it was common for them to be alone like this.

That was also why he had chosen to show him the factory instead of attending the banquet. He wanted to reassure Marquess Rohan by demonstrating the trust he had in him.

Apentina had no ability users. The royal family’s lineage possessed a nullification ability, but that couldn’t be considered a special power.

Therefore, it was unnecessary to explain how valuable Marquess Rohan, a memory-altering ability user with top-tier powers, was as a vassal.

“The Crown Prince is as intelligent as Your Majesty.”

“Hahaha, indeed.”

The King laughed heartily, pleased, as he inspected the machines.

At that moment, Marquess Rohan stepped close to him and used his power.

“Be wary of Yurian Leonhardt. His unsettling actions are preparations for war.”

“…I see.”

Marquess Rohan subtly altered the King’s memories, instilling a sense of caution whenever he thought of Yurian. He believed that, to protect his wife, it was crucial to keep the King and Yurian from growing too close.

“And you should send him back to the Bricesys Empire as soon as possible. He is a dangerous man.”

“I understand.”

After using his power, Marquess Rohan stepped back.

“What were we talking about?”

“I was just saying that the Crown Prince resembles Your Majesty.”

“Hahaha, indeed, my son takes after me.”

The King laughed heartily, patting Marquess Rohan on the shoulder, completely unaware of what had just happened.

* * *

Yvonne had returned to the mansion earlier and was waiting for Marquess Rohan, who still hadn’t come home.

It was her first time coming back alone from a banquet.

So, as soon as she got home, she bathed and immediately started drinking. Perhaps because her drinking with Yurian had been interrupted, she felt unsatisfied.

She didn’t bother pouring the rum left by the servants into a glass and drank straight from the bottle as she stepped out onto the terrace.

Below the terrace was the rose garden that Marquess Rohan had created for her. Recently, she had grown suspicious of his unusual behavior. However, she was also well aware of how deeply sincere his feelings were toward her.

That only made it more frustrating.

She knew how much Marquess Rohan loved her, a love that weighed heavily on her sense of responsibility. If she could fall for him as deeply as he had for her, things would be easier.

Then perhaps she wouldn’t be so unsettled by seeing Yurian.

And she would have been happy about sharing a bed with him.

Instead of feeling so embarrassed.

Thinking this, she emptied the bottle.

Then she fetched another bottle and began drinking straight from it as well. The clock ticked past midnight by five minutes.

Marquess Rohan had never been this late before, and Yvonne felt a strange unease. Ever since meeting Yurian, an odd loneliness had grown within her. She didn’t want to be alone, but being with Marquess Rohan made her uncomfortable.

It felt like an obligation to be with him.

That’s why she was drinking and waiting. She wanted to see his carriage return, passing through the rose garden and entering the mansion.

“Haah.”

She took a drink and looked up at the moon, which was clear and bright.

The moon shone serenely, without a single cloud in the sky. At that moment, she thought of white hair shining like the moon and perfect features like a sugar doll.

“Ugh…”

As soon as that face came to mind, she felt sick.

‘I wish you were dead.’

“Who are you to say that?”

Yvonne recognized that the voice in her memory was Hildebrandt’s and scoffed.

Since regaining some of her memories, she had come to hate him. She had known he despised her, but she had mistaken that hatred for a twisted kind of love. However, after he disappeared and didn’t even look for her, it was clear there had been no affection at all.

Moreover, Yurian’s presence as an envoy meant he was here to assist Hildebrandt.

That likely meant they were following the original storyline, where the two of them ended up together.

That’s probably why Yurian wanted to kill her so badly.

It was strange how alcohol seemed to clear her mind.

“Is that why he drank so much every time?”

Yvonne spoke as if mocking Hildebrandt, knowing he couldn’t hear her. Remembering that his side effect was excessive drinking, she let out a derisive laugh.

“Pathetic.”

She took another long drink.

“Sigh…”

She let out a deep breath, feeling as though the alcohol had cleared her head. As the smell of alcohol faded, a breeze blew past. The gentle wind brushed her cheek, filling her lungs with the rich scent of roses.

The rose scent reminded her of Marquess Rohan, making her feel strange.

Looking down idly, she finally saw the carriage she had been waiting for arriving at the mansion. Yvonne set the bottle down at the sight.

She threw a shawl over her shoulders and went downstairs. The servants were lined up in the foyer, ready to welcome the master of the house.

When the door finally opened, it was Marquess Rohan who entered.

“My lady.”

“My dear. Why are you so late?”

“I’m sorry, my lady.”

He reeked of alcohol, perhaps having drunk as well. As he embraced her, he lifted her into his arms.

“My lady.”

“My dear. You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“It seems you’re drunk too, my lady.”

“I’ve been drinking as well.”

Marquess Rohan chuckled softly and kissed Yvonne on the cheek. She hesitated for a moment, then patted his back. He grinned and said,

“I’m sorry, my lady, for making you wait.”

“It’s alright.”

“I wasn’t going to let him go first, but something came up.”

“I believe you.”

“I love you so much, my lady.”

“I know.”

Yvonne answered him, gently stroking his hair.

“Where’s my room again?”

The only problem was the unwelcome guest who had arrived with him.

“The Duke of Rohan insisted I stay at the mansion tonight.”

“….”

“It’s nice to see you again, Duchess of Rohan.”

The one greeting her with a flushed face was none other than Yurian Leonhardt, with the strong smell of alcohol clinging to him.