The blood vessels become hot, an emotion that excites people.

Love and hatred were similar in that they were intense and fiery emotions, difficult to control.

They say when you fall in love, you only see that person, but what irks you catches your eye even more.

Similar to this principle, Riana Serpens stood out particularly in Sched’s eyes.

Sched thought this phenomenon was rooted more in hatred than love.

Because when he saw her with Dietrich, he felt intense anger and displeasure rather than love or jealousy.

His brow furrowed at the sight of the two startled by his discovery, as an added bonus.

Am I an unwelcome guest?

“I thought you would be busy tracking down heretics…”

Dietrich’s eyes widened at the duke’s cold voice.

“W-well… I-I was just stepping out for some fresh air to clear my head…”

The silver hair of the normally stammering chief minister drooped lifelessly.

Sched’s eyes scanned back and forth between his crumpled shoulders and Riana.

“Have you gotten enough fresh air?”

“Uh, no, I mean… yes.”

The head that had been shaking side to side moved up and down before the languid gaze.

“Then perhaps you should be on your way?”

The chief minister gulped at the duke’s polite suggestion.

Though they were clearly of equal rank, Dietrich always found himself unable to move in Sched’s presence.

“T-then, I’ll be… May God be with you…!”

Fearing Sched might draw his sword if he didn’t vacate immediately, Dietrich hurriedly left.

Sched watched Dietrich’s retreating back before turning his eyes to Riana.

He clenched his fist upon seeing the single flower in Riana’s hand.

“Follow me.”

He grabbed her slender arm and strode off in big steps.

Riana was dragged along by his strong grip like a beast on a leash.

“Your Grace, it hurts…! Let go and speak to me!”

Sched, who had been leading the way, only released Riana when they reached a completely deserted place.

“Your Grace…!”

“Are you in your right mind?”

As Riana glared at him, Sched pressed her harshly.

“What do you mean…”

“Don’t you know that man was in charge of House Ideana’s treason case?”

Sched pointed at the silver-haired chief minister.

He couldn’t understand her being so close to Dietrich.

If her treason was discovered, he was the most dangerous person, and also the one who knew most about Ideana’s crimes.

If even a small hint slipped during conversation, it would only be a matter of time before ‘Louise Ideana’ was caught.

Especially since Dietrich had a particularly persistent side…

“Did receiving a single flower make you giddy? Did you feel like you were something because the distinguished chief minister paid attention to you?”

Riana’s eyes wavered at his barbed words.

The reason his words stung more sharply was because they were somewhat true.

To be honest, she had felt a little excited when she received the flower.

Even if it wasn’t a flower with a sweet fragrance, even if it wasn’t a skillfully wrapped bouquet, someone had given her a flower for her sake.

His clumsy gift was sincere and intuitive, with no room for distracting thoughts, making it comfortable.

Moreover, the flower was even more special because it had bloomed from Ideana’s land.

She had simply cherished an ordinary moment of daily life.

But that was all.

She hadn’t dreamed of any future beyond that, nor had she ever thought of becoming closer to the chief minister.

She had only coveted a single flower.

But standing before Sched, she becomes a person unworthy of desiring even a single flower.

A sinner for whom even a fragment of peace and a drop of happiness is too much.

Riana bit her lip once, then replied in a deliberately bolder voice.

“I’m being careful enough.”

Sched’s advice was unnecessary.

She feared Dietrich more deeply than he worried.

Sched could not even fathom her fear.

“Is this the result of being careful enough?”

Sched clenched his teeth and snatched the allium from her hand.

As he gripped the stem, the single purple flower wilted helplessly in his grasp.

Riana’s gaze followed the allium as it tilted and fell to the ground.

The gifted flower became trash discarded on the dirt floor in an instant.

Riana bit her lip firmly.

“Don’t think about meeting the chief minister alone from now on.”

“…Then why did you bring me here in the first place?”

Riana raised her head sharply and glared at Sched’s warning.

It was Sched Lester who had dragged her here so insistently.

To the land where she was most likely to be discovered as Louise.

To the land where memories and traces of Louise Ideana were scattered everywhere.

To this place where the chief minister would come.

“Isn’t this what Your Grace wanted? It was you who brought me here despite my refusal. Didn’t you want me to be exposed and punished?”

Riana poured out her pent-up emotions.

How much had she struggled to escape.

Yet he ignored her struggles and dragged her here.

She recalled the end of the devil Dietrich had spoken of.

Her heart sank and her breath caught with each word of his description of hell’s punishment.

Does he even know how much I fear him?

An unwanted crime. Thus, an unwanted punishment.

Sched looked down at the eyes flashing anger towards him.

“…Yes, that’s right.”

His languid voice fell like cold water over her anger.

He had brought her here to punish her with revenge.

“So don’t show me that foolish grin and giggling.”

At his words, her glass-bead-like eyes shattered.

Sched clenched his jaw as he watched her eyes fill with misery.

For some reason, he felt no relief, only a buildup of frustration.

Why.

Sched spat out the disgusting emotion that had risen to his chin.

“I’ll decide how you’ll be punished.”

You just have to follow, be swayed, and be controlled like my possession.

A small breath burst from Riana’s lips like a hollow laugh. At the same time, he saw her eyes turn bright red.

“You’re truly terribly arrogant, Your Grace.”

She glared at him, stubbornly holding back her tears.

Sched’s neck stiffened.

“That arrogance will crumble someday.”

Riana’s trembling voice echoed in his ears.

The red gaze looking up at him was etched in his mind like a curse.

At that moment, his head throbbed and his breath caught as if cotton had been stuffed inside.

The faint moisture in her eyes drove him mad.

His rough breath burst out as if a fire was burning deep in his chest.

It was too stimulating to be heat triggered by anger.

All thoughts evaporated in intense passion, and only physical sensations became acute.

Her gaze, her breath, even her small movements stimulated him.

“Louise Ideana…”

He exhaled the name that filled his mind.

Riana’s eyes twisted with sharp wariness.

“Don’t call me by that name…”

“Shut up.”

Damn it. Your voice is too… sexy.

Riana’s lips trembled at his low growling voice.

At those trembling lips, his mind went blank.

He wanted to explore and devour her lips, just like that time by the lake.

It felt as if a rampaging beast would break the chains binding it and escape his control at any moment.

A grinding sound came from his clenched jaw.

Riana looked at him with a pale face.

As if left with an unhealed wound, Riana stepped back hesitantly before turning and fleeing the place.

Sched’s impulse pushed him towards Riana.

But his last bit of reason held his feet like shackles.

His reason sensed that if he followed her now, he would cross a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

He clutched his chest where his heart throbbed painfully.

‘Why on earth…’

Riana leaned against the wall, clutching her shoulder.

The shoulder he had grabbed ached as if it would break.

Yes, she too was human.

That’s why it hurt every time.

She pretended to be numb, tried to submit to fate, but in truth, she had never once become dull.

She was always scared, always in pain.

Still, she tried to endure it because it was her sin, her fault.

But in reality, she felt like she would go mad with resentment.

Though she knew she couldn’t face those who died and were sacrificed because of her, at times she just wanted to scream and vent her anger.

That she had never once wished for things to turn out this way.

That she… just wanted to live a normal life.

Loving someone, and being loved in return.

Riana buried her tears, unseen by anyone, in her palms.

As always, she felt alone in the world.

Sched’s face, full of hatred, wouldn’t leave her mind.

She often imagined alone.

Imagining that he understood all her feelings without her having to say anything.

Why she lied, why she had no choice but to remain silent.

She just wished he would believe her.

That he wouldn’t abandon her.

That when he made such choices, there must have been unavoidable reasons.

She wished he would just embrace her quietly, fully trusting her and not questioning further.

Riana always longed for such moments.

When their eyes met, she would gaze endlessly into his eyes, hoping he would understand her true feelings.

But Sched never realized what her eye contact meant.

‘It’s only natural.’

She knows well it’s not Sched’s fault.

It was all her vain desire and imagination.

Riana reminded herself once again of the cold reality.

That there was no one to take Louise Ideana’s hand.

That she was an impurity that had fallen into this world.

That she was an existence that needed to be erased from this world, and from Sched Lester’s life.