Lorencia looked at Ruans painfully. Did Ruans know? That he was causing pain like cutting and scraping her entire body with a knife. She felt a severe pain in her chest.

“Lorencia. I love you. So. Trust me and follow me.”

More painful than Ruans’ words was the memory of having loved him in the past. That’s why tears flowed, and it was agonizing. She felt like going crazy thinking about the tears she had shed every time she saw him wielding her in the name of love.

The current Ruans probably doesn’t know. That when the priests of the Ellie Goddess Temple accused her of being a witch and tortured her, it hurt more to know that Ruans had turned a blind eye and enjoyed watching her suffer than the tremendous pain of her body being torn apart.

“What should I do to make it difficult for you to move? Lorencia. Should I break your legs or arms? If I break them quickly, it won’t hurt.”

Ruans smiling brightly while thinking about how to hurt her while saying he loves her.

There was no other devil.

“I don’t want to be hurt.”

“You’re doing it again. You were the one who said you’d help me. Didn’t I say it’s not good to keep going back and forth? Why do you keep confusing people?”

Ruans said that because he loved her, she should grant any request. And for Ruans, ‘Lorencia’ became the ‘indulgence’ for everything.

If she didn’t grant his requests, it was Lorencia’s fault, and even if she did, if things didn’t go well, it was also Lorencia’s fault. Why didn’t she know he was this kind of person?

“Since Lorencia doesn’t think, I’ll think for you and explain so you can understand. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“If we go to the tea party like this, you might be humiliated in front of people. Then what will become of me who threw down the white glove for you. I wish you would think a little. Lorencia.”

Lorencia quietly nodded. Every single word of Ruans blurred the point. She knows well that it’s useless to respond, even though she can’t understand at all.

“I’m sorry.”

“Even if it hurts, endure it a little for me. Okay?”

Ruans, who had continuously stabbed her heart with words, started smiling radiantly as if he was in a good mood.

“You know I love you, right? I’m doing this because I love you. Lorencia.”

Lorencia closed her eyes at Ruans’ touch that eventually came over her. Her body, which already knew the coming pain, kept tensing up. She had to endure for the future she already knew.

Anne smiled with satisfaction at the screams coming from Lorencia’s room. After a while, the door opened. Ruans said to call a doctor. Illina shuddered when she saw Lorencia collapsed like a dead person through the open door.

“If the doctor asks, Lady Illina, you should tell the doctor that mother did it. You can say the same at the tea party.”

Ruans said with a smile. But Illina didn’t feel like smiling at all.

“You want me to tell people that the person who made Lorencia like that is mother?”

“Lady Illina. Then are you thinking of saying that I made her like that? Lady Illina, think before you speak.”

“But…”

Illina found it difficult to answer readily, thinking of Anne who would have to be pointed at for something she didn’t do.

“Anyway, would Lady Anne have any more reputation to be damaged if one more bad review is added?”

“But mother is…”

“Be quiet, Illina.”

“Mother!”

“Prince Ruans is right. When the doctor comes, cry and say that I’m the one who made Lorencia like that.”

Anne bit the tender flesh inside her mouth. Illina bowed her waist and head to Ruans with a resigned face.

“I will say as instructed when the doctor comes, Prince Ruans.”

The doctor entered Lorencia’s room.

“This is…”

The doctor was at a loss for words looking at Lorencia. He had heard rumors that Lady Anne hated and abused her illegitimate child, but this was too much.

It was like creating a living corpse, just not killing her. At the doctor’s serious expression, Illina covered her mouth and started acting with a tearful voice.

“I couldn’t protect Lorencia.”

Illina shed tears drop by drop.

“Don’t cry, Lady Illina.”

“I shouldn’t have left her alone.”

The doctor told the crying Illina to leave so he could treat Lorencia. First, the doctor gave Lorencia painkillers as she was in pain. The blood and hair that had flowed from her torn head had hardened together into a mess. Her red, swollen cheeks and eyeballs looked like they would burst if touched even slightly. The inside of her mouth was all torn. Fortunately, her teeth were not damaged.

The doctor clicked his tongue looking at Lorencia’s skinny body.

“Her leg is broken, but what was used to hit and break it?”

The doctor tilted his head looking at the broken leg. He wondered how Anne could have broken the leg even if she was strong. But he soon erased that thought from his mind.

The doctor trembled like an aspen leaf, angry at how much Anne must have starved Lorencia for her height and development to not have grown properly. With a pitiful heart, the doctor treated Lorencia carefully.

If a healing scroll was used, these mere bruises could be healed right away, but thinking that the Pol Heredian Count’s family wouldn’t use one on an illegitimate child, he felt sorry for Lorencia.

“It will hurt a lot when she regains consciousness…”

Just as the doctor finished treating Lorencia and took a breather, there was a tapping sound from the terrace along with a cat’s meow. When the doctor approached the terrace, a young kitten was continuously tapping on the door. It was Leo.

When Leo saw the doctor approaching the terrace, he started crying and hitting the terrace door more vigorously.

“Do you want me to open the door?”

As soon as the doctor opened the terrace door, Leo rushed into the room. And immediately jumped onto the bed to check on Lorencia.

-Meow! Meow!

Leo spun around in circles.

“It’s the young lady’s cat. I’m not hurting your owner. I’m actually treating her.”

Looking at Leo glaring fiercely, the doctor raised both hands and slowly backed away. As the doctor opened the door and left, Leo snuggled up close to Lorencia and started licking her cheek. Leo kept watch by Lorencia’s side until the moment the sun set and the moon rose.

Ruans ordered a certain medicine through Illina for the sick Lorencia. It was a sleeping pill.

After confirming that Lorencia had eaten the food mixed with sleeping pills and fallen asleep, Ruans entered Lorencia’s room and immediately drew the sword from the scabbard at his waist. The sharp blade revealed itself keenly.

Ruans, holding the sword, leaned over the bed where Lorencia was sleeping. A shadow fell over Lorencia’s face.

“If you’re dreaming, Lorencia. I hope you only see a future for me.”

Ruans’ hand slowly caressed Lorencia’s cheek.

“Dream of both the Emperor and Empress dying. Are you listening to me? Lorencia. No answer.”

-Hiss!

Leo raised his claws. But Ruans deliberately adjusted his grip on the sword handle. Then he raised the sword in the air and quickly thrust it down. With a thud, the blade sank into Lorencia’s pillow.

Ruans looked at Leo, who was raising his claws and staring at him, and pressed down hard on the sword handle. The sword sank deeper and deeper. Then Leo, who had been raising his claws and hissing sharply, lay down in front of Ruans like a docile dog.

“It’s not just you who’s helpless in the face of violence. The same goes for Lorencia. But while I’m not interested in you becoming helpless, I’ll give love to the helpless Lorencia. Of course, she’ll probably live deeply immersed in delusion, believing too much in love…”

Ruans turned his gaze from Leo and looked down impassively at the softly sleeping Lorencia. If she turned her head just a little, her cheek would be cut by the embedded sword. The faces of Ruans and Lorencia were faintly reflected on the flat of the well-honed blade. Ruans lowered his body further, using the sword handle as a cane.

“Lorencia. Do you know what love is? I’m not sure. But I’ll tell you I love you as much as you want. Since they say that’s monster food.”

Looking down at Lorencia, who gave no answer, Ruans reached out and gently stroked her thin cheek.

“You are a monster born for me.”

Ruans pulled out the embedded sword. And put the sword back in its scabbard.

“Don’t even dream of betraying or running away. You’re mine. Lorencia. Understood?”

Ruans had recently been summoned by Daniel and told that he needed to keep Lorencia in check.

Ruans doesn’t really know what Daniel means by love. But Lorencia at least knows that she alone should know.