“If you don’t want to speak, it’s alright to entrust your body to me as is.”

Strong arms wrapped around Illina’s waist and lifted her up. He walked to the bed with heavy steps. Ruans pushed Illina onto the bed as if exploding with pent-up desire.

Illina felt the sensation of the soft bed against her back. And it was when Ruans, who had climbed on top of her, looked down at Illina with satisfaction.

“Damn it.”

Knock knock. The knocking sound broke Ruans’ excitement.

“What is it?”

Ruans raised his voice, his excitement broken.

“It’s Adan. I apologize for the disturbance. Prince Ruans. Lady Illina. People from the imperial palace, no, knights have come looking for you.”

Adan shouted urgently from outside the door.

“They found us quickly.”

Ruans got up and scratched his head nervously, starting to rebutton his undone collar. Illina also fixed her disheveled dress with trembling hands.

Illina couldn’t say anything. If she were to express in words not being able to trust love, it would probably be the word ‘could it be’. There was nothing more painful than the moment the heart that loved was stained with doubt. And when she realized that the doubt had become reality, it couldn’t be expressed with the word painful.

“Lady Illina. I have come on orders from His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince to take you to the imperial palace interrogation room.”

“Captain Alecto. It’s been a while.”

“Yes. It’s been a while. Prince Ruans.”

“You’re taking Lady Illina to the imperial palace interrogation room?”

“Due to a letter discovered at the deceased Viscount Lorirolls’ residence, she must be interrogated as a reference witness in relation to the murder case.”

“Lady Illina absolutely did not kill Viscount Lorirolls.”

“I never said Lady Illina was the culprit. I clearly said it was an interrogation as a reference witness.”

At Ruans’ words of defense, Illina’s brow furrowed involuntarily. It felt incongruous to see him take on the appearance of a man more concerned about his lover in front of others than anyone else, when just a moment ago he had treated her so cruelly.

“She’s truly in an unfair position. Captain Alecto.”

Illina watched Ruans defend her unjust position without being able to say anything. People who didn’t know would think he was a supremely loyal man who believed in his lover upon seeing that.

“People suspect Lady Illina as the culprit who murdered Viscount Lorirolls.”

“People are going too far! Lady Illina absolutely did not kill anyone!”

“That’s why she must be interrogated to clear that up. It can’t be helped right now. Prince Ruans.”

Alecto spoke firmly. He didn’t know when Ruans, who he thought had gone down to Greycan after the honor duel, had come up to the capital, but he never imagined he would come out of an unmarried young lady’s room at the Pol Heredian estate at that.

Seeing the strangely disheveled hair and flushed eyes, he could imagine what Illina and Ruans had been doing in the room. So perhaps that’s why the two of them looked pathetically unmatched. Did they know their own situation and act like that?

“I will go to elder brother Adrian and ask him to clear the false charge. Lady Illina.”

Alecto, after checking Illina’s complexion, tilted his head. Even though her lover recognized her unjust situation, rather than looking moved, Illina’s expression was hesitant as she gauged Ruans’ reaction.

“I will surely prove Lady Illina’s innocence, so trust me and wait just a bit.”

Illina’s eyebrows drooped. If she had heard what Ruans was saying now when they were alone, she really would have been moved. But he had abandoned her. She never imagined she would be abandoned to this extent, so her whole body trembled.

“Captain Alecto.”

“Yes. Prince Ruans.”

“I have something to discuss with her, so it would be good if you could give us a moment alone.”

“Understood.”

After Alecto, Adan, and the knights left, Ruans immediately pulled Illina into an embrace. Illina urgently pushed Ruans away, goosebumps rising all over her body from his breath touching her ear.

“I listened to what you said, Prince Ruans, and thought long and hard. About whether I would become a dog. Or a cat.”

“Is that so?”

“I will become a dog.”

A loyal dog that loves its master.

Illina shook her head as if denying Lorencia’s words that came to mind again. As Ruans said, if she hadn’t directly sent the letter to Lorirolls, this situation wouldn’t have happened. Come to think of it, Lorencia would want her love with Ruans to be ruined. Because that monster hated her.

‘How foolish of me to be shaken by that monster’s words.’

“I love you. Prince Ruans.”

No matter who tried to drive a wedge between them, her love was precious. She told Ruans, putting that precious sincerity into her words.

“Do you truly love me?”

Someone once said that sincerity eventually reaches a person’s heart.

“Yes. I love you.”

Illina looked at Ruans with love. But his expression was slightly and subtly different from what she had expected.

“Lady Illina. I think love and delusion are in the same context.”

Illina’s eyes widened as she looked at Ruans.

“A stalker tells people they loved someone, but people don’t believe the stalker’s words. Do you know why? Because the stalker’s love originated from delusion. So I think love and delusion are in the same context.”

The light voice mixed with laughter pierced Illina’s ears with a chill.

“My love is not a delusion. You also said you loved me, Prince Ruans.”

“I always said I loved you. I said it, but it seems you didn’t understand well, so I’ll say it properly so you can understand. Illina. What I mean when I say I love you is don’t delude yourself about my love.”

“Are you toying with me?”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit brazen of you to speak of love to me?”

“What do you mean?”

Illina shed tears again.

“You’re crying again? Why do you always just shed tears whenever I say something?”

“Because your words hurt my heart so much.”

“Lady Illina. Listen well to what I say.”

Illina took a step back. Ruans approached Illina as much as she retreated.

“Things not going well for me.”

“You giving that damn kitten to Lorencia as a gift.”

“You being jealous of Lorencia and trying to kill her.”

Illina took steps back, frightened by Ruans approaching her with a scary face. Feeling the hard wall against her back as she retreated, she could no longer back away.

“Me being utterly humiliated in the honor duel, damn it. Madam Anne committing suicide.”

Ruans came right up to her face. Illina’s breath caught in her throat.

“It’s all because of you, Lady Illina.”

Despite his face looking full of smiles, killing intent could be felt in Ruans’ green eyes.

“The root of all the things I’m going through is because of you, Lady Illina. So this is the punishment you’re receiving.”

Ruans tapped Illina’s cheek a few times with his fingertip and smiled bitterly, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“But I’m a magnanimous person.”

Illina sobbed.

“I won’t kill you disguised as a suicide like Madam Anne. If you end up being sent to a convent after staying in prison, I’ll let you stay in the room where Madam Anne stayed before she died. Then you’ll be able to feel the warmth of your mother you miss, as is. Even I think I’m being too kind. Right?”

“What did you say?”

Illina wiped the cheek he had tapped with the back of her hand, goosebumps rising from his words. Her hand trembled involuntarily.

“I won’t forgive you. I’m going to say that you killed Viscount Lorirolls, Prince Ruans.”

“Do you think that makes any sense? No one will believe your words. Evil lady Illina.”

Ruans reached out to Illina and ran his fingers through her golden hair.

“From this moment on, Illina, you and I are not lovers. We’ve broken up.”

“Did you ever consider me your lover?”

“Of course. I treated you affectionately at least in bed, didn’t I?”

Ruans’ laughter filled the room as he quietly answered Illina’s question.

Ruans turned around and walked out with heavy steps. Illina couldn’t hold him back as he got further away from her. She didn’t know if the words he had left her were true or false, but one thing was certain – that she had been hurt.

“My mother? Disguised her suicide? Tell me it’s a lie.”

“It’s not a lie. Illina.”

Illina quietly smiled as she shed tears.

If it was an unattainable love, no, if it was an unrewarded love, she had to bite and wound it.

Illina had been that way since she was young. If she couldn’t have it, she would destroy it all.

“Lorencia had something more to tell you.”

Ruans’ steps stopped. She had succeeded in catching his feet as he was about to turn around. But he didn’t look back at her.

“It’s fine. When I meet Lorencia, no, our Loa, I’ll tell her.”

Without even turning his head once, he said what he wanted to say and disappeared through the door he opened. Through the gap in the door where he disappeared, Alecto and the knights entered the room. Illina lowered her head and shed tears drop by drop.

Ah, she had been perfectly abandoned by him.

Ameline stroked Lorencia’s cheek, who had just woken up. She had definitely put on weight compared to when she first saw her, and her skin had become very soft.

“You’re awake?”

“Yes. Ameline. Good morning.”

As soon as she woke up, Lorencia thoroughly ate the high-calorie meal Teishar had prepared, and even the snacks he had brought.

Teishar held meetings with the chefs and pâtissiers every single day without fail. Ameline and Evan also participated in those meetings. Whenever a meeting was held, people found it difficult to keep up with the dedication Teishar showed to Lorencia.

Teishar meticulously decided on the menu for Lorencia’s meals. He interfered with everything from tasting the finished dishes to the drinks and snacks she consumed. As a result, everyone who participated in the meetings shook their heads at Teishar’s utmost devotion.

What was certain was that thanks to his utmost devotion, Lorencia’s once skeletal body gradually began to put on weight.