The count’s face turned ashen as if he had seen a ghost.
Sihan Blossom shook his head helplessly and then noticed Asha standing beside him. He looked at her pale face and smiled softly as if she understood Karaf’s tendencies all too well.
Count Fresia was beet red and frozen in place, unable to move.
However, Karaf remained unfazed, determined to make him crawl like a dog.
He spoke casually, almost nonchalantly.
“Strange. The dogs I know with fluffy fur don’t behave like that.”
Count Fresia’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he spoke to Asha in a barely audible voice.
“I’m sorry, Lady Vanessa. I didn’t mean to…”
But Karaf interrupted him sharply.
“That’s not how you apologize. Maybe I should throw this perfume bottle in your face to help you understand?”
The count knelt on the ground, pleading for forgiveness.
Despite feeling ashamed, he could not raise his head as he spoke.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Lady Vanessa. I assure you that it will not happen again. Please forgive me this once.”
Despite his apology, Karaf remained resolute in his order for Count Fresia to crawl like a dog, hoping to set an example.
Asha quickly intervened before the situation escalated further.
“I accept your apology, Count Fresia. However, I hope that we never have to see each other again.”
With a flicker in her eyes, Asha mimicked Karaf’s usual arrogant expression before moving closer to him and gently taking hold of his sleeve.
“Your Majesty, since he has already apologized, please forgive Count Fresia.”
“My compassionate Vanessa, your heart is like the Pacific Ocean. How will you survive living among beasts in this imperial palace? Isn’t she a saint sent by God, gentlemen?”
As Karaf looked around calmly waiting for their answer, the nobles quickly began to voice their agreement.
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“Nobody can match Lady Vanessa’s compassion.”
Feeling the need to escape this absurd situation, Asha tugged at Karaf’s sleeve.
“Let’s leave now.”
“Very well. It’s better for your health and well-being if Vanessa only smells the pleasant scents emanating from my person, rather than those cheap ones.”
Asha’s face turned red at the words that sounded somehow ambiguous.
However, sensing the attention of the nobles on her, she tried to hold back the words she wanted to say and walked nonchalantly with Karaf.
As if he had lost interest in the perfume bottle, Karaf casually tossed the empty bottle on the floor and walked away.
Accidentally walking arm in arm-with Asha, he looked very pleased.
After the two had left, Count Fresia was visibly shaken with humiliation, while the other nobles tried to stifle their laughter with their fans and left.
It was likely that his embarrassing ordeal would be the talk of the salon for some time.
Upon returning to the room, Asha closed the door and looked straight into Karaf’s face. She questioned herself how she got such courage to confront him about his actions.
“Your Majesty! Did you do that intentionally to embarrass me?”
Karaf looked genuinely surprised, with his eyes wide open.
“What are you talking about? I did my best to honor you before the nobles today.”
Asha was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but shout out.
“How could you put me in such an uncomfortable situation in front of all these nobles…!”
Karaf responded awkwardly with a surprised expression.
“Did you feel uncomfortable? You seemed troubled anyway, so I just warned him. Aristocrats are quite dense, so if I don’t say it outright like that, they won’t understand.”
Feeling like communication was impossible, Asha sighed softly and pursed her lips.
Karaf noticed the cookies that Sonya had brought and picked one up, chewing on it leisurely.
“As expected, meals taste better with good company.”
“Did you not enjoy the lunch?”
“Have I ever enjoyed it? Didn’t I tell you last time that I usually prefer not to eat with anyone? Today was one of those days when I wished I could cut off a few fingers.”
“…….”
Karaf picked up a cookie and offered it to the frozen Asha.
He said with a smile as she took the cookie and ate it with a bitter smile on her face.
“It seems like everyone is overly interested in you. Anyone who sees them would think they’re Vanessa’s lovers.”
Asha coughed and covered her mouth as she ate the cookie.
Karaf’s playful expression disappeared, and he spoke with a serious tone.
“From now on, anyone who disrespects you will face my wrath.”
Asha asked in surprise.
“Are you… being serious?”
“Very serious. The mere thought of it makes me itch.”
His hands trembled as if he had epilepsy.
Asha was truly frightened and cried out.
“You can’t do that!”
“No, it’s okay. And you need to be a bit of a villainess.”
“A villainess?”
Asha looked truly bewildered, but Karaf spoke very seriously.
“Living like a saint is a very tiresome thing to do. It’s easier to live as a villainess next to a tyrant. I’ll teach you how to become a villainess step by step from now on. It will definitely be helpful for you.”
“Could it be that the evil woman Your Majesty is talking about means pouring perfume on heads as you did before?”
“You are very well aware of that. You have to do that much to keep the maggots from crawling in.”
“Maggots…….”
As Asha muttered blankly, he spoke casually.
“Well then. Anyone who dares to disrespect the flower and butterfly of the Empire is nothing but a maggot.”
Asha let out a bitter laugh once again.
It seemed impossible to win against his logic.
Karaf’s expression finally relaxed and he chuckled as he spoke.
“When I look at you, you remind me of my mother who always scolded me. I thought I was good enough, but my mother always punished me for doing wrong.”
For some reason, Asha kept her mouth shut. The reason was that the portrait of his mother that she saw in the basement warehouse earlier came to mind.
Oddly enough, whenever he talked about his childhood, her heart ached and she seemed to be at a loss for words.
In contrast, Karaf looked completely unfazed and gave Asha a faint smile.
“But that’s not bad either. I am an attention seeker who is very hungry for the butterfly’s attention.”
Asha couldn’t help but laugh along with him now.
After a while, Asha stopped laughing and said.
“Your Majesty, actually there is something I want to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I would like to seek your permission beforehand because I am afraid that if I disappear without a word like last time, it might anger you. I want to investigate another flower that is rumored to be in the temple.”
Karaf’s eyes widened, and the relaxed atmosphere changed abruptly.
To prevent him from being shocked, Asha quickly added.
“I suspect he may be related to the curse on Your Majesty’s body. If you kill him, we won’t obtain any information, so I will investigate first.”
Despite pretending to be calm, Asha remembered the time when he killed a spy from a minority group, and her heart raced.
This time Karaf remained silent for quite some time, and the longer the silence in the room, the more anxious Asha became.
Finally, he spoke a word.
“…… You’re going alone?”
“Yes. I would appreciate it if Your Majesty would accompany me, but if you do, the man may feel uneasy and not tell us the whole truth. Perhaps he may not even know that he’s a flower.”
Karaf nodded slightly, acknowledging the reasoning.
In the presence of the emperor, most people could not be honest.
But as Asha saw his expression become crestfallen, her heart also became a little heavier.
The man she was about to meet could have been someone who could have taken the emperor’s place.
That fact only intensified her anxiety and pain.
“I trust the empress, but…… If that man approaches you with evil intentions..…If he forces you to make his flower bloom, then…….”
He couldn’t speak anymore, but Asha could easily guess what he was going to say.
His demeanor of avoiding eye contact and being unable to speak made him look like a young boy intimidated by his angry mother who was scolding him.
He was taller and more robust than her, yet for some reason, he looked pitiful and fragile, like a delicate flower.
Asha lightly placed her hand on the area of his chest where the crescent moon was engraved.
Karaf looked at her in surprise, and Asha met his gaze with seriousness in her voice.
“Don’t worry, I will only conduct the flowering experiment on Your Majesty’s body.”
Upon hearing those words, Karaf finally reacted and pushed his head back with a grin, then asked.
“You’ll experiment with my body? Just hearing it makes my heart race.”
Asha’s face turned red and she spoke hesitantly.
“You… you already know, but it’s not what you think.”
“I know. I’ve failed many times before.”
Suddenly, he looked disheartened like a withered flower.
But Asha, feeling embarrassed, turned away from him and spoke sternly.
“And the scent of roses from Your Majesty’s body is quite strong, so I don’t know if it’s good for my mental and physical health.”
Karaf’s face became even more shocked upon hearing those words.
Asha spoke firmly, closing her eyes.
“So please wait. Until I find a way to make your flower bloom.”
“I understand. I won’t get in the way.”
Karaf stormed out of the room, looking thoroughly dejected.
As Asha watched him go, she let out a quiet sigh and brushed her chest.
At least he didn’t seem like he would harbor any ill intentions toward her or attempt to force any physical contact in the future.
* * * * *
At that time, Jackal sat across from the village chief at the table, prepared to engage in a fierce argument.
The chief sighed deeply and looked at him with his fingers clasped together.
His black eyes shone ominously against his white-gray hair.
“First, tell me your purpose. Why do you demand this information from me? It seems like an excessive request for the safety of Lycaon. And I still can’t fully trust you. How can I be sure you won’t betray us after obtaining this information?”
Jackal was struck by his words and paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before responding.
However, the village chief did not give him time to think and asked directly.
“Is it to take revenge on the emperor?”
“No, it’s to bring back the butterfly.”
One of the chief’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Bring back?”
