Lin, who had been glaring at him as if to kill him, stretched out her hand towards Delphine, who was still frozen in place.

“Delphine. Quickly, behind me…”

Thud.

“Ioan!”

Delphine’s scream once again echoed through the basement.

Lin, who had been hit hard in the stomach with a scabbard, coughed violently as if about to vomit her insides.

Glaring at the fallen figure, Ioan spat out as if grinding his teeth.

“How dare you say my name…”

His face, which had been calm all along, finally revealed its true colors and turned beastly.

As she met those cruelly shining eyes, her whole body began to tremble.

“Oh my. Del.”

Ioan, who had discovered her in such a state, quickly put on a kind face and carefully embraced the pale Delphine.

Then he whispered softly in her ear.

“Del. …Haven’t I always urged you to stay safe?”

Always.

Yes, from some point on, he had been urging her to do so every time he went out.

…When had that started?

When did he find out that she had betrayed him?

‘From the beginning.’

Right after she visited the human factory.

He must have known since then…

Suddenly, her legs gave out.

But before she could collapse, Ioan lifted her with his strong arms.

“Let, let me go…”

Delphine struggled to break free from his embrace, but she had no strength left in her body, making it difficult even to struggle.

Meanwhile, the knight guards began to roughly restrain La Rouge.

As they resisted being forced to kneel, the knights even kicked them.

“I-Ioan… I’m… I’m also one of them. So if you’re going to arrest them, me too…”

“Them? Who, or rather, what are you talking about?”

He replied calmly.

“What, what do you mean…”

“The army has also gone to their headquarters in District 3.”

He continued in a flat tone.

It was the same tone he used when asking about her well-being every morning during breakfast.

The fact that there wasn’t even a trace of anger on his face made Delphine feel terribly ominous.

“After today, those rat bastards will cease to exist. …The fact that you participated in the treason will also become nonexistent.”

His calm and composed demeanor sent chills down her spine.

Behind them, the La Rouge people were struggling, bound hand and foot with gags in their mouths.

Ioan raised his head and coldly ordered the knights.

“…Lock these things up in the imperial prison for now.”

Leaving behind the saluting knights, Ioan leisurely left the room.

“Where, where are we…”

As Delphine, gripped by fear, hurriedly asked, he smirked with a sneer.

“Where, you ask, Del. It’s gotten too late. It’s time to return to the mansion.”

What on earth is this person?

Delphine had never seen someone so composed in such a situation.

Noticing Delphine looking up at him as if he were insane, Pryde smiled, his eyes curving.

“Let’s go, Del.”

To our home, where I’ve planted flowers for you.

The door of the chamber closed with a click.

Why did that sound seem just like the closing of a prison cell?

Still in Ioan’s arms, Delphine trembled.

They had all been caught.

From Belly, Lin, and Marian, the core members of La Rouge, to their headquarters, all of them.

They would never be able to rise again in this empire.

That would be true even if those three who were captured could return safely.

This man holding her in his arms now was too overwhelming.

Ioan carefully placed the trembling Delphine on the bed.

Only then did Delphine realize she was still in her formal attire.

Ioan was looking down at her with an expressionless face, his inner thoughts unreadable.

Delphine, looking up at him with trembling eyes, slowly opened her mouth.

“Save…”

Just as she was about to ask him to save those who had been captured, she stopped.

Would such a plea have any meaning?

Although she couldn’t be sure what was going on inside him, at least outwardly, he appeared calm now.

So she had to choose her words carefully.

If she provoked him further here, she couldn’t even begin to predict what consequences she would face.

“Hmm?”

When she stopped mid-sentence, he smiled kindly and asked.

It was only her who was pale and in a state of panic.

Dressed in his white uniform, he looked as elegant and composed as ever.

Delphine, looking up at him, opened her mouth again with a feeling of being on the verge of tears.

“Ioan…”

Even if it was a futile act, she had to do something.

For those who were being dragged to prison and suffering.

To save the lives of her comrades.

She had to struggle, even if it was meaningless.

And the only way Delphine knew to melt him, based on her experience so far, was just one.

Delphine mustered her remaining strength and rose from the bed.

Then she slowly approached the man standing like a statue, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his lips.

Contrary to her expectations, he showed no reaction.

He just looked down at her with eyes that were difficult to read.

‘Please, please…’

You were always the one who melted so easily for me.

This time too, please…

Delphine desperately kissed his cold lips once more.

Still motionless, cold lips.

After struggling for a long time, Delphine finally pulled away and looked up at him with despairing eyes.

How long had they been standing there, facing each other?

“…The words ‘I love you.'”

The cold lips that had been impenetrable no matter how hard she tried finally opened.

“Are they still valid?”

That question came like a bombardment, causing a huge explosion in Delphine’s heart.

But whether her heart became a muddy field or a wasteland, her options were limited.

Delphine knew that if she gave the answer he wanted to this question, Ioan would at least not kill them.

It was the same on the day of her father’s treason.

He had asked if there was anyone she wanted to save, and he had kept alive everyone she mentioned until now.

Even though he must have known that Betty was actively helping her transgressions.

So it would be the same this time, right?

“…”

Delphine, who had been silent at his question, finally nodded slowly.

Then she carefully kissed his lips again.

The tightly closed lips finally parted.

He silently responded to her kiss.

Then he immediately invaded deep into her mouth, where he had never intruded before.

“…Mmph.”

Even the single moan was swallowed into his mouth.

It was the beginning of a long night.

“Damn it… Why did Father do such a thing… Damn it…”

Sobs continually echoed through the underground prison beneath the imperial palace.

It was the young Marquis Purcell, burying his silver hair between his knees and crying.

Across from him, in another cell, were Lin, Belly, and Marian, the core members of La Rouge.

Marian, who had lost consciousness from Pryde’s attack, was still unconscious.

Lin, closely observing her condition, kept spitting out curses.

“Damn it…”

His face was etched with deep frustration and anxiety.

He shouted again towards Belly in an angry voice.

“Why is that crazy bastard still keeping us alive? …He must be planning to threaten Delphine using us as leverage!”

“It’s alright.”

Belly, with the smile gone from his face, calmed him down in a composed tone.

“Pryde will never harm her.”

His tone was filled with a strange certainty.

“When you say he won’t harm her, do you just mean he won’t physically injure her?”

Lin retorted roughly.

But Belly remained adamant.

“Trust me. That Pryde, he can never hurt her. And perhaps Delphine too…”

He trailed off, looking at Lin who couldn’t hide his anger and sorrow.

“What we should worry about is ourselves. I’m not sure how much kindness Pryde will show us for Delphine’s sake.”

Belly mused, pushing against the iron bars studded with black crystals.

“Still can’t use magic, Lin?”

Of course, they had already been stripped of their possum before being imprisoned here.

“Yeah. Strangely, I can’t use magic.”

Belly carefully examined the iron bars, muttering to himself.

“Hmm… Perhaps it’s the technology from three hundred years ago when witch hunts were conducted.”

He maintained his usual calmness and analytical ability even in this situation.

Lin felt his heightened emotions gradually subside as he watched him.

His sometimes inhumanly cold demeanor was helpful at times like this.

“What should we do now, Belly? Can we get out of here?”

To Lin’s resigned question, Belly replied in a relaxed tone.

“Well. As for the escape plan… Let’s think about it after hearing the truth from the noble young Marquis Purcell next door.”

At that, the sobbing sound that had been echoing through the underground prison stopped.

“…Are, are you talking about me?”

In response to the timid question, Belly smiled and answered.

“Yes. Who else could it be?”

“What? You? How dare you lowly creatures…”

“My, my. It seems you haven’t grasped the situation even after being imprisoned, young Marquis.”

Belly retorted in a seemingly cheerful tone.

However, his blue eyes were shining coldly without a trace of humor.