‘She doesn’t know magic. How could she have deflected a curse attached to the earth? Did she learn magic in that short time?’

Leaving Ermedillin’s reception room, Pellio headed straight to Henri’s office.

“How are the people receiving the news?”

“Yes, it’s a plausible story.”

“It’s your doing, isn’t it? I did accept your advice, but I still can’t comprehend. Why did you suddenly change your mind when you were going to make a grand achievement?”

Henri’s eyes sharpened as he questioned Pellio.

“Aren’t I a subject of the imperial family? I just thought it was a good opportunity to restore the imperial family’s prestige, which had fallen due to Duke François.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Truly a loyal answer. But didn’t you have a grudge against the Empress?”

The mouth can always lie.

Henri strained his eyes to catch any tiny expression from Pellio, regardless of his response.

“I do have a grudge. A personal grudge. However, the current Empress is beneficial to the imperial family. She established an orphanage with her own funds and is concerned about the safety of the people. My duty as a subject comes before my personal grudge.”

Throughout Pellio’s answer, Henri scrutinized him intently, but Pellio’s face revealed no small emotion.

“Fine. I look forward to the future of Trivian, having a loyal subject like you.”

Henri ceased his intense scrutiny and let Pellio leave.

Alone, Henri laughed, dismissing his prior suspicion about whether there was an emotional connection between them.

‘So what if there is? That woman has met and dated every handsome man in the capital. No, in the first place, what does it matter to me who she meets?’

Around the time Henri was thoroughly mocking his own behavior, Count Halstein informed him of Vallière’s visit.

“Count Vallière has arrived.”

“Vallière?”

Frankly, Henri didn’t want to meet her.
Though they had spent the night together on a whim, Henri felt uncomfortable from the moment he woke up, as if the feeling he was supposed to have after spending a night with a longtime lover was instead a mysterious discomfort.

Moreover, when the suspicion arose that Valérie might be connected to Duke François, Henri began to regret yesterday’s actions.

“Busy…”

But trying to send her away with a flimsy excuse also felt uncomfortable.

After all, they were lovers who had spent the night together just yesterday. It seemed terribly callous to dismiss her so quickly.

“Let her in.”

However, Valérie’s expression as she looked at the somewhat languid Henri was not favorable.

“What’s the matter?”

“You should know better than I do, shouldn’t you?”

Both of their voices were far too sharp to belong to two people who had spent the previous night together.

“What?”

Seeing Valérie’s angered expression glaring at him, Henri sensed that something was off, but had no idea what it could be.

“I have no idea.”

“Huh?”

Valérie let out a rather arrogant chuckle before sitting down in front of Henri and folding her arms.

Before Henri could even react to her sudden arrogance, Valérie scolded him in a sharp tone.

“Flowers! Flowers! Why didn’t you send any!”

“Ah…”

Sending her favorite flowers after spending the night was a longstanding tradition between them. A basket of flowers Henri used to send to considerate Valérie, who would wake up alone in the morning because of his busy schedule.

‘I forgot.’

He had sent them countless times, yet it hadn’t crossed his mind until Valérie came to him.

“Alright, I was thoughtless. I’ll send some tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow, you should send tomorrow’s flowers.”

Valérie felt closer than ever after just one night.

Skinship had an incredible effect in heightening intimacy. Valérie’s attitude toward Henri had relaxed overnight.

However, Henri found Valérie’s newfound warmth incredibly foreign.

No, beyond foreign, it also felt unpleasant.

She had always kept her distance and been cold, but now her attitude changes just because of a title?

It felt like seeing the underside of someone he had never known before.

“I’ll send some tomorrow. I won’t need to send any other flowers tomorrow.”

Henri’s mood had cooled in an instant, and he responded in a rather chilly voice, shifting his gaze to the documents in hand.

“What do you mean…”

“I’m busy. I can’t come by every day.”

Despite Henri’s unexpected attitude, Valérie looked bewildered. However, Henri’s eyes remained focused on his documents.

“Yes. I understand. You’re busy.”

Even as Valérie said her goodbyes with a touch of sarcasm, Henri never lifted his head.

‘Why! Why is he like this again! Why!’

Valérie, who had no idea why Henri had turned cold again, began to shake with disappointment and anger, throwing objects around.

‘What’s the problem? Why! Why are you rejecting me?’

This time, she was about to break a mirror but stopped. Looking at her reflection, she saw an exquisitely innocent woman.

Certainly, she looked like she’d suit daisies or baby’s breath.

‘This body, it’s the body of the woman you love, isn’t it! So why! Why are you rejecting me!’

Valérie was upset with Henri’s unpredictable behavior, feeling her heart tremble multiple times a day.

Just last night, he had been so affectionate and gentle.

Under the dim light, his blue eyes were filled with tender love for her.

Valérie felt as though she would melt under his gaze.

Moreover, she felt exhilarated that she, of all people, was the one loved by this beautiful man, a being of the highest existence, an emperor.

His gaze and voice had transported her between heaven and hell in an instant.

Thus began her painful yet sweet first love.
But Henri’s first love was not the current Valiere.

They had met the original Valiere at the age of 8, became friends, and became lovers through countless frightening and intense moments.

Even if Valiere had the shell of her first love, Henri could not fail to notice that her soul was different from before.

Of course, he thought it was due to the murky atmosphere of the palace that Valiere had fallen, but still.

Henri did not want to lose the only remaining human part of him, even if his lover had changed like this.

The unstable happiness from the days when he was still human, before staining his hands with the blood of his halfbrothers.

He just couldn’t admit his feelings because he didn’t want to let go of the memory where he was happy just by the fact that Valiere was beside him, even in the precarious moments like a lantern before a storm.

Henri’s first love, though strenuous, was now entirely coming to an end.