“Lady Chloe. There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to. Would you come with me for a moment?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

It was strange that Joyce had someone to introduce to her at the imperial palace. But Joyce’s expression was as calm as usual.

“We can return quickly, right? I’d like to be back before the duke returns to my room.”

“Yes, it won’t take long. We agreed to meet near the Sun Garden.”

This time it was on the opposite side from the Moon Garden. Looking out the window, the sun had completely set and it was dark.

It was strange. Hugrey goes out to the Moon Garden to meet Calcus, and she goes out to the Sun Garden to meet someone unknown.

But it should be fine since she was with Joyce. He was loyal to Hugrey above all else. She knew Joyce didn’t particularly like her. But his loyalty was beyond doubt, so he was the only one she could trust in the imperial palace.

“Alright. Let’s go quickly.”

Thinking this, Chloe stood up.

Entering further past the entrance of the Sun Garden, they came to an area with slightly taller trees among the small shrubs and flowering trees planted there, unlike the Moon Garden. With the sun already set and the trees being tall, it was so dark that she wondered if she’d even be able to recognize someone if they came out.

“It’s been a while, Chloe.”

While she couldn’t see, she could hear.

This voice speaking in Tigrium was Reina Tilbit’s voice.

Why, this woman!

Chloe reflexively glared at Joyce standing behind her. She couldn’t understand why he had brought her to this woman who had tried to kill her. However, Joyce didn’t even avoid her gaze and just looked down at her. She couldn’t understand what that expressionless face meant.

“Why do you want to meet me? Now that I’ve survived after you handed me over to King Staxton, are you trying to kill me yourself?”

Chloe shouted angrily at Reina Tilbit.

“Oh! You’re not as stupid as I thought. You know I informed on you, and you know I came out to kill you.”

“What? What did you say?”

Chloe couldn’t help but ask again. She could hardly believe she had heard correctly.

Surely, I must have misheard?

“Your hearing can’t be that bad, can it? And you’re supposed to be a tiger shifter. Why pretend you didn’t hear? Ah… is it a side effect of the suppressants? Yes, such a frail body should die quickly for the good of the world. So this time, I really came to kill you.”

“…!”

Suddenly, it felt like all strength was draining from her legs.

Kill me? Me? Really?

However, no matter how much she tried to think it wasn’t true, that it was just a threat, Reina Tilbit’s expression didn’t look like someone joking. An expressionless face that seemed to hold not even a speck of emotion towards Chloe.

This woman really is trying to kill me!

The realization that finally came froze her entire body. She didn’t even have the courage to confront Joyce standing behind her, to ask what this was all about. Questions and shock rushed through her about how Joyce, of all people, could bring her to this woman to be killed, but there was no time to find answers to such things.

“Hans.”

As Reina Tilbit called out the name ‘Hans’ in a low voice, another figure appeared from behind her. Along with the sharp, glinting blade in one of its hands.

It was that man who had visited the duke’s mansion. The man who had given her tea, saying it was a gift from Reina. So his name was ‘Hans’.

Such useless thoughts flashed through her mind. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about such things. Not when that man called Hans had appeared with a knife to kill her.

“Kill her.”

Reina Tilbit ordered Hans.

Chloe instinctively stepped back, but after a few steps, she bumped into Joyce standing firm behind her.

“It would be best to die cleanly.”

Joyce murmured quietly behind her back.

Die cleanly, you traitor! How dare you, how could you do this!

Because of the surging anger towards Joyce, even the fear of death seemed to disappear.

“Yes, it seems like following that guy’s advice would be good, Chloe Liden. Rather than running away and getting caught, being torn apart here and there, it would be better to be stabbed cleanly.”

Even Reina Tilbit spoke mockingly.

“Are you trying to kill the duke too by killing me? So cowardly?”

Chloe asked her. If she dies, the duke who lost his mate would lose his power. Then those who decided to replace the alpha could easily eliminate the duke.

“Haha! You fool. Why would I kill the duke, over someone like you? Do you think you’re the alpha’s mate or something? But you know, the difference in value between your life and the duke’s is greater than that between heaven and earth. The duke is the most excellent alpha in history, he’s going to be my imprint partner, and he’s going to be the father of the alpha I’ll give birth to.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

The woman really did seem crazy, but Chloe deliberately shouted even louder, as if cursing. Hoping this sound would reach the duke in the Moon Garden. Of course, she knew it was a vain hope. Bringing the duke to the Moon Garden and herself to the Sun Garden on the completely opposite side of the imperial palace must have taken this into consideration as well.

“Hans, wait a moment. It seems I should shatter that woman’s delusions before killing her.”

Reina Tilbit stopped Hans, who had already approached Chloe with his knife raised. The man called Hans stopped moving like a puppet that only responded to her words.

“Chloe Liden, you are nothing. And the imprint? You didn’t know. That re-imprinting is possible. So only you need to die, just you. When you die, the imprint will break anyway. And the duke is in heat right now. I’m going to re-imprint. The duke and I will become mates this time. We’ll be the most well-matched mates in history.”

Chloe was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t even think of what to say. This woman was completely insane.

“Why, are you so scared you’ve lost your words? Did you think the duke would protect you forever, and now you’re sad that you’re going to die so easily?”

Reina Tilbit mocked her thoroughly. Seeing her cruel smile, Chloe barely managed to gather her wits. Even if she was going to die, she wanted to wipe that cruel smile off that woman’s face.

“Hugrey isn’t crazy enough to imprint on a mad woman like you. He imprinted on me because it’s me. He would never imprint on a woman like you with a rotten personality, unsound mind, and strange obsessions.”

“I don’t think so. Because I’m going to force him to imprint.”

“You’re properly crazy! How could you. He will never accept you. He absolutely…”

“Is that something the duke can control? Heat happens regardless of will, and his body, already weakened, will be in such a state that he’ll barely be able to lie down, let alone resist me. Even an alpha ends up like that after fighting a lion. We’re not originally a species that can win one-on-one against lions, you see.”

“What, what are you saying? Fighting a lion?”

Chloe’s body started trembling. She had a vague idea of what Reina Tilbit meant.

So Calcus really called Hugrey out to the Moon Garden to fight? No, that…!

“You devilish woman! You crazy woman!”

She felt like something was blazing up inside her. She didn’t know what it was, but it was a familiar feeling.

“Moreover, the duke is in heat right now. He’ll be even weaker. As time passes, he’ll have trouble even controlling his body. I hope the Traskan Emperor doesn’t roll him around too much. Don’t you think?”

“You crazy, devil, someone like you should die. I should have killed you.”

Chloe wanted to curse her earlier self who had stopped Hugrey from killing this woman.

Calcus attacking Hugrey. And that woman forcibly imprinting on Hugrey. This crazy woman daring to… Hugrey!

Her whole body was shaking, and something kept surging up inside her. It felt like a lump of lava was boiling inside her body.

“What do you mean by that!”

The one who suddenly shouted then was Joyce, standing behind Chloe.

You bastard. Traitor!

Newly conscious of Joyce’s presence, Chloe found it increasingly difficult to handle the heat inside her body. Somehow, it felt like her body would explode soon.

“What do I mean? Didn’t you also cooperate with my plan hoping your master would get a proper mate? Joyce, was it?”

Reina Tilbit spoke as if sneering.

“I only agreed to eliminate Chloe Liden. But making the duke fight the emperor, are you insane? What if the lion emperor kills my master!”

Joyce also shouted in excitement.

Now of all times?

Chloe felt like laughing bitterly at Joyce’s reaction. Handing over the alpha’s mate to the crazed Reina Tilbit who wanted to kill her, and throwing Hugrey to Calcus the lion.

“Would he kill him? That would be troublesome. But well, if the duke is that weak, it can’t be helped. Then we’ll have to change the alpha. I don’t want such a weak alpha as my mate either.”

Listening to the conversation between the traitor and the crazy woman, Chloe felt like her ears would rot. She wanted to kill them both. An enormous killing intent seemed about to swallow her.