“Master…?”

As he unconsciously stretched her cheek, she called out to him.

She was a bit nervous, wondering if he had changed his mind about piercing his ears.

“Do as you please.”

He soon let go of her soft cheek and tilted his right ear.

“Master, if you’re afraid, just say so.”

“What would you do if I were afraid?”

“What would you like?”

Felix looked at Reniel in surprise at the provocative question.

But realizing she had simply asked innocently, he laughed.

“Even if I told you what I want, you couldn’t give it to me.”

“Why not? I’m very capable.”

“That’s not something you say about yourself.”

“Then say it for me.”

Though he was dumbfounded by her boldness.

“Fine, you are very capable.”

Thinking there was no need to tease her further, he answered compliantly.

“Right? I’ve been very capable, haven’t I?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve done my work well too.”

“You have.”

“And I’ve been devoted to serving you, Master.”

“I acknowledge that.”

“I always thought of you while ironing clothes and cleaning rooms.”

Felix nodded along moderately.

“I was really worried when you drank too much. I worried about you drinking every day too.”

“I appreciate your concern.”

“You smoked cigars every day too. Don’t you know how bad that is for you?”

“You worried about that as well?”

“I told you before. I was really concerned about your health, Master.”

Reniel felt strange saying these things while holding a needle.

Yet thinking she would soon be parting from Felix, the words kept pouring out.

“And I was so happy when you stopped taking sleeping pills.”

“…I see.”

“Master, you’ll be able to stay healthy even when I’m gone, right?”

She suddenly grew serious, gripping his shoulders and looking him in the eye.

He felt more threatened by her words than the needle clumsily held in her hand. For she was speaking as if she might leave at any moment.

“No.”

So he answered firmly.

“Aw, I know you’re just saying that because I’m here. But it still makes me proud.”

Felix was staring intently into her eyes, and she soon came to her senses, shaking her head and grabbing his ear.

“Why are you saying such things?”

“No reason.”

“…”

Felix felt somehow bothered by her words, but soon yielded to her and tilted his ear.

She then pressed the needle firmly against his ear.

“…Huh?”

However, despite her solemn attempt to pierce his ear, no hole was made.

“Master, could it be you’ve grown muscles in your ears too?”

“You say such cute nonsense.”

He retorted as if dumbfounded by her words.

“Push harder.”

“I’m using all my strength already!”

“Your hand is shaking.”

“That’s because I’m trying to put a hole in your ear!”

Felix looked at her small, insignificant hand, briefly considering whether to help.

But deciding it would be much more enjoyable not to, he refrained.

“Three piercings was too ambitious from the start.”

“What are you saying! I can do it!”

She said that, but her hand was still trembling.

Piercing human flesh – such a shocking act could not be easy for her.

She was only used to treating and caring for others, never having done anything like this before.

“Wh-what should I do?”

“…Bring alcohol, now.”

Felix said to the servant waiting outside the door.

“S-suddenly alcohol?”

“You can do it if you’re drunk. Even a coward like you.”

At that, the servant outside answered “Yes” and quickly walked away, footsteps fading.

“Have you ever had alcohol before?”

“I came of age recently. I was so curious I tried some champagne.”

“When?”

“At the victory ball at the mansion before. I tried a little of what was left.”

“Wasn’t that quite a while ago?”

Felix frowned, recalling that was early this year.

“Champagne has a low alcohol content too.”

“It tasted really good. There were strawberries floating in it.”

“I see.”

Felix couldn’t recall such small details.

To him, social events were just a minor effort to lull the emperor into complacency.

“Come to think of it, Master. When did you start recognizing me? You used to be bad at remembering servants’ faces.”

Reniel suddenly realized it hadn’t been long since Felix properly started recognizing her.

“You’ve been an annoyance for quite a while, but I only remembered your name recently.”

“I was an annoyance?”

She looked at him in surprise at his words.

Seeing that look, Felix wanted to tease her but didn’t want to be disliked, so he smiled instead.

“Very much so.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure.”

Reniel had been an annoyance to Felix for a long time.

It seemed to be because of her innocent expression and slender body, but also perhaps her eyes.

Her mysterious purple eyes were pleasing to look at. Along with her unusually colored hair.

Of course, what he liked most about her now were her ears.

Below her round, small ears remained the dark mark he had left. Perhaps it would remain there forever.

He was quite satisfied.

“But I did my work really well. So why was I annoying…”

“To be precise, it’s more that you stood out rather than being annoying.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

In truth, she had been quite irritating, making him upset every time he saw her.

Because she kept catching his eye, he had been wary, thinking he would feel dirty if she met with an unfortunate accident or was eliminated by his political opponents.

However, the current Felix was completely different from himself a few years ago.

Back when he was weak and frail, he had to give of himself without even being allowed to show how difficult it was.

But not the current Felix.

Now he could punish those who had taken from him, and take their things to destroy before their eyes.

That’s why he kept Reniel by his side now. Because he would no longer let anyone take those close to him.

It was strange to have someone he wanted to protect.

Knock knock.

“Leave it inside.”

The servant had brought two types of alcohol.

One was dark blue, the other amber colored. The whiskey in the clear bottle had a fancy label on the side.

Soon he glanced at the two before leaving.

Felix carelessly picked up the glass with ice.

As he lifted it, the clear sound of ice hitting crystal rang through the room.

“Which do you prefer?”

He gestured with his chin as if telling her to choose. Reniel tensed a bit before pointing to the more beautifully amber-colored one.

“What kind of alcohol is this? Is it more expensive than that one?”

“Why? Do you want it?”

“Is that alright…?”

“Should I give you a liquor merchant guild while we’re at it?”

Reniel waved her hands in panic at the sudden increase in scale from a single bottle.

“No! That’s a bit…”

“Why? Didn’t you say it’s important to prepare for old age?”

“I don’t know how to manage a merchant guild!”

Reniel knew well that running a liquor merchant guild would be much more difficult and exhausting than it seemed on the surface.

Moreover, while it was true she liked money, receiving something so big felt somehow ominous.

She knew how cruel her master could be when necessary.

And there was no time to receive a guild anyway. Tonight was the last night.

“Then should I give you a hotel? Hotels have bars. You can drink whenever you want.”

“That’s okay. One glass is enough for me. And I can’t do that after asking you to quit drinking.”

She unconsciously looked at the amber whiskey he was holding.

Looking closely, the name of the merchant guild was written on it, and sure enough, it was operated by the Le Pelique ducal family.

“I don’t think you’ll drink like I do.”

He persuaded gently, but she shook her head and took the glass.

Soon he slowly poured whiskey into the glass.

As the whiskey poured over the round ice in the glass she held, it made a clear sound as it swirled around.

Reniel’s heart raced at the strong scent coming from the alcohol.

When the glass was half full, he removed the mouth of the whiskey bottle. Then he carelessly placed it on the bedside table.

Reniel held the glass with both hands, very nervous, then drank it all down as if resolved.

Felix laughed when she looked at him after finishing.

“You seem to have a low alcohol tolerance.”

“What? No, I’m totally fine!”

It wasn’t that Reniel had a low tolerance, but that this alcohol had a high proof.

The whiskey Felix drank like water was strong enough to catch fire if lit.

It was certainly not a proof that should be recommended to Reniel, who was drinking alcohol for only the second time in her life.

“Wow…! This feels so good!”

She looked at Felix as if asking him to pour more.

He let out a laugh of disbelief, but filled her glass again.

“Thank you!”

Reniel took the glass and drank again.

One glass, two glasses, three glasses.

She only remembered up to the third glass.

The problem was Felix.

He thought her tolerance was high, and ended up absentmindedly giving her more until she had emptied a whole bottle of whiskey.

He himself normally drank five bottles, so he thought she could handle one bottle or so.

“Ahaha!”

When Reniel had emptied one bottle.

She became brave enough to ignore all the world’s order.

Reniel sighed and approached him with the needle again, emboldened by the alcohol.

“This will hurt.”

“Did it hurt for you?”

“Yes, it hurt.”

Though dizzy, she grabbed his right ear thinking this was her only chance for revenge. Then she applied force.

“It’s still not working.”

“Push harder.”

“I-I’m scared.”

“It’s okay, press harder.”

At his words, she tried to suppress her fear and pressed harder.

That’s when it happened.

With a ‘pop’ sound, the needle passed through his ear.

“Once it’s through, rotate the needle once and pull it out.”

“There’s blood…”

“Blood always comes out.”

Blood dripped onto his pitch-black clothes.

“Give me a new needle.”

She said with resolve, determined to pierce two more holes.

Felix smiled as he handed her a new needle.

He liked her trembling hands and fearful expression, yet eyes that seemed strangely out of it due to the alcohol.