Meanwhile, Shallen Riche, while exchanging warm greetings and pleasantries with acquaintances from foreign lands he hadn’t seen in a long time, found it nearly impossible to focus on his surroundings.
His gaze kept drifting toward Kasallin Robepon and Parnes Escalo.
Whether it was his imagination or not, as time passed, it felt as though the two were growing ever closer, an odd illusion taking hold.
“Why?”
Why did the sight of those two standing so close make his stomach churn with unease?
For Shallen, who had always lived lightly, letting things flow as they would, this sensation was utterly unfamiliar.
He didn’t yet know the reason, but one thing was certain.
If he allowed Kasallin to continue flaunting herself around Parnes, it might bring disgrace to the honor of the Khan royal family.
At least, that’s what Shallen believed.
With a resolute expression, he pushed away Rose Robepon’s hand, which he had been holding.
Rose looked at him, bewildered.
“Your Highness?”
“I have something to say to Kasallin. I’m sorry, but stay here for a moment.”
“What? Alone?”
In the Khan Kingdom, it might have been fine, but this was the Renel Empire. For a husband to leave his wife alone at a foreign social gathering and wander off was unthinkable.
Rose’s incredulous question was drowned out by the lively music, unanswered.
Shallen crossed the grand banquet hall, aglow with golden melodies, and reached Kasallin in an instant. Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed her hand as if it were the most natural thing.
“Your Highness?”
Kasallin stared at Shallen, her eyes wide with surprise.
But Shallen, as if her feelings or intentions were of no importance, fixed his gaze squarely on Parnes standing across from her.
“My apologies, but I must interrupt. I cannot allow ‘my maid’ to cause any further inconvenience. Enjoy the rest of the banquet. Come, Kasallin, let’s go.”
“That’s rather impolite.”
A voice, deep and grating like it scraped the depths of the earth, sent a fleeting chill down Shallen’s spine.
Parnes, whose overwhelming presence was palpable even when standing still, openly hardened his expression, causing Shallen to instinctively shrink his shoulders.
But with Kasallin watching right beside him, he couldn’t afford to appear cowardly as a man. He quickly regained his bold demeanor, exuding confidence.
To Kasallin, however, he seemed to be forcing himself to appear masculine.
“You’re taking our maid, but do you need anyone’s permission for that?”
“If you were going to take such care of her, you should have done so from the moment you entered. Instead, you subjected a lady to all sorts of scorn and mockery for trivial reasons, didn’t you?”
Parnes muttered in a voice low enough not to reach others but sharp enough to pierce Shallen’s ears.
Unwilling to lose, Shallen opened his mouth reflexively but didn’t know how to retort.
Completely struck at his core and rendered speechless, he quickly changed the subject.
“Listening to you, your words seem rather harsh. Is that my imagination?”
“No, it’s not your imagination. I only treat people with common sense in a sensible manner.”
“What did you say?”
“The reason I treat this girl with more decency than you or your queen is exactly that. She’s far more admirable than a petty man who can’t help but torment a poor maid or a figurehead who only knows how to paint her face.”
At the blatant insult, Shallen’s face twisted with displeasure.
Those words struck the last shred of his pride. He made a mistake he never would have under normal circumstances.
“You’d better watch yourself. I won’t keep tolerating this!”
As he raised his voice, the smooth flow of the orchestra’s music abruptly stopped.
People halted their dancing and turned to look at them with startled eyes.
In that moment, Shallen felt deep regret for letting Parnes’s provocation get the better of him, losing control of his emotions.
And for good reason—the usually composed Emperor Parnes’s expression had turned as menacing as a beast risen from hell.
Contrary to the ruthless rumors about him, Parnes was someone who overlooked most matters.
He knew well the weight his words and gestures carried, the ripples they could cause.
Though born with a belligerent nature, he had lived suppressing that ferocity, but there was one thing he could never forgive.
That was a challenge to his authority.
“If you won’t tolerate it, I welcome the challenge.”
Parnes looked down at Shallen with a crushing gaze, speaking quietly.
His low, beastly voice seemed to strike Shallen’s ears.
A faint warning flashed through Kasallin’s mind that leaving these two alone would lead to trouble.
Unable to stand by any longer, she gently grabbed Parnes’s arm.
“Your Majesty, please calm down.”
His firm muscles, prominent under his sleeve, flinched at the sudden touch.
He gazed at Kasallin, who looked up at him with wide eyes, then let out a short sigh, slowly softening his expression.
This eased the tense atmosphere somewhat, but Kasallin realized that staying between these two men would do no good.
She politely excused herself to Parnes and slipped through the murmuring crowd, fleeing to the lower banquet hall.
But one man seemed intent on not giving her any time alone.
“If you’re going to escape, you should’ve returned the coat first.”
Thud. Thud.
Shallen’s voice pierced her ears, accompanied by the sound of footsteps descending the marble stairs.
Only then did Kasallin feel the heavy weight of the coat on her shoulders, sighing as she glanced back.
“I was just about to return it. And you know full well why I had to escape.”
Kasallin tightly gripped the coat, warm and sensuous like its owner, and tried to pass by Shallen.
Without looking back, Shallen reached out and grabbed her wrist.
“Stop it. Even if you go now, there’s no place for you there. There are plenty of ladies desperate to catch Emperor Parnes’s eye tonight.”
“…Fine, just let go of my hand.”
Expecting him to back off with people around, Kasallin was surprised when Shallen pulled her arm, pressing their bodies close.
She looked around in shock, but no one seemed to find it odd.
With a slow-tempo dance tune playing, they likely appeared as just another couple dancing.
“What are you doing?”
“What’s wrong? You smiled so prettily when Emperor Parnes asked you to dance, but you won’t even hold my hand? Don’t tell me you’re still upset about today.”
“What did you say…?”
“Let’s not ruin the mood any further.”
His manner of speaking was gentlemanly, but his actions were anything but.
Shallen gritted his teeth and twisted Kasallin’s arm, forcing their fingers to interlock as she resisted dancing.
Even though his arms, familiar from ten years of romance, wrapped around her, it felt like a snake slithering across her skin, an overwhelming sense of disgust washing over her.
“As expected, Your Highness is a scoundrel who can’t even touch the toes of a gentleman. What kind of man clings to a lady without her consent?”
“Who do you think the Khan Kingdom belongs to?”
Shallen tightly gripped Kasallin’s slender waist, spinning her as he posed the question.
“It’s mine. The Khan royal family is mine. The servants working for the royal family are mine. Therefore, a maid like you is practically mine as well.”
His jaw was clenched tight, as if in anger.
Kasallin couldn’t follow or understand the flow of his emotions.
It was like watching a racehorse gone mad, galloping wildly.
“So listen carefully. You are under my charge. Don’t dare cause trouble for a neighboring emperor or shamelessly accept his help without my permission—for the sake of the Khan royal family’s dignity.”
Something suppressed deep within her chest boiled up like lava.
Knowing that letting it out now would ruin the ball entirely, all Kasallin could do was push against Shallen’s chest.
“Even if others don’t know, you of all people shouldn’t say that to me.”
“On the contrary, I’m the only one who can say this.”
Beyond her shimmering, heated vision, his face blurred.
Kasallin desperately pressed her lips together, biting down until they bled.
“Stop it. I don’t want to waste precious time arguing with you on a day like this.”
Ten years of wasted time is enough.
“Then promise me one thing. Never again act friendly or scheme with Emperor Parnes.”
“…You’re saying I’m scheming with His Majesty?”
“I’ve seen countless women like you. Women blinded by money and power, desperate to latch onto a successful man.”
They call that not knowing your place.
Shallen drove a dagger into Kasallin’s heart with his final words before returning to Rose.
[This is the timeline separator]Dancing in Parnes’s arms amidst a romantic melody, Kasallin, to be completely honest, could only be described as dazzlingly beautiful.
Her white ankles peeked out each time her skirt swayed lightly.
Her hair, cascading like waves from her slender waist, made merely watching her feel like committing a sin.
Parnes likely gazed at her greedily from such close proximity.
“Your Highness!”
Lost in unconscious reverie, Shallen snapped back to reality at the sharp sound of Rose’s voice in his ear.
A room softly lit by a few old-fashioned candles.
Rose, dressed in a chemise, lay beside him, grumbling.
“Tch, I’m right here, and you’re lost in thought?”
“Was I?”
“Yes, you were.”
As Rose playfully tickled Shallen’s body, he gently pushed her hand away and sat up.
Realizing too late that he wasn’t in the mood for play, Rose got up, watching him cautiously.
“You’ve been gloomy since the ball.”
“That’s not true.”
“Tell me what’s wrong. Your Rose…”
Before Rose could finish, Shallen suddenly leapt out of bed, picking up scattered clothes from the floor and putting them on.
The clock showed two in the morning, and Rose called out to him in panic.
“Where are you going?”
“Something came up.”
“What? At this hour?”
“I remembered something I forgot. Don’t worry about me, go back to sleep.”
Rose couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
Buttoning his clothes hurriedly like someone late for an appointment, Shallen turned and left, rushing off somewhere.
The place he headed to, unbeknownst to anyone, was Kasallin’s room.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
