‘How dare a bastard like you be here!’

Lucas felt like screaming in rage, but held back. However, he couldn’t stop his tightly clenched fists from trembling.

Floyd was always like this.

Even at the last party held at the Imperial Palace, he stole all the attention that had been on Lucas in an instant.

‘That big oaf…’

Even surrounded by people, Floyd and his knights stood out, their heads rising a full head above the crowd. Especially Floyd’s dazzlingly bright clothes made it impossible for people to look away.

‘Wearing such clothes and flaunting his wealth. This is why those who grew up poor…’

Lucas tried to find some flaw in Floyd, but no one else there seemed to mind Floyd’s attire. The same was true for Elise standing next to Lucas.

‘What?’

As Elise had never been to an Imperial Palace party before, this was her first time seeing Floyd in person.

‘How can he be so…’

Floyd’s beauty was full of vitality. Like entering a forest dense with trees and being unable to breathe, the aura emanating from him was like that.

It was breathtaking. Yet her heart was pounding so fiercely it was painful.

His tall stature and broad shoulders, the beautiful face adorning the thick, strong neck, eyes as deep as an unfathomable well, a perfectly shaped nose and red lips decorating his sharp jawline.

He was truly so perfect that in that moment, Elise forgot about Lucas.

‘I want to be that man’s woman.’

She had always been the type who wasn’t satisfied until she had someone in her grasp. Even the Crown Prince Lucas had to be hers.

But with Floyd, she didn’t have such thoughts.

Rather than making him hers, she wanted to become his. His woman. Floyd’s woman.

How sweet those words sounded.

Elise wanted to rush over to him right away, caress his thick arms and meet his gaze, but the last bit of reason held her feet in place.

Only then did Elise realize the man beside her, and with difficulty tore her gaze from Floyd to look at Lucas.

Lucas was glaring at Floyd with both fists clenched tightly, trembling.

How pathetic he looked.

The blonde hair she had thought beautiful before, the features she had considered perfect, even his build she had thought was fine as long as it was bigger than hers – it all seemed shabby now.

Just then, Floyd, who had been dealing with the crowd gathered around him, laughed loudly. His booming laughter was refreshing enough to clear one’s chest.

“This feels like I’ve become the main character! You can stop welcoming me now, why don’t you pay attention to the real protagonist sitting alone in the corner over there!”

His voice, deepened from giving orders on the battlefield, resounded through the banquet hall. People laughed along with him and raised their glasses towards Casar.

Everyone was acting just as Floyd wanted. Even Elise.

‘I want to be embraced by that man.’

Elise couldn’t escape the intense desire.

‘How can I make that happen?’

Suddenly, she recalled what Puccino had said when they were in Kingteren.

−”You could use the feminine wiles you were about to use on me on Duke Ratean instead. If you captivate his heart and deliver him on a leash to the Crown Prince, His Highness will come to cherish you greatly.”

The latter part about delivering him to the Crown Prince didn’t matter.

‘He told me to use my feminine charms. That means… my beauty would work on the Duke too. Puccino knows a lot, so he must have said that knowing what kind of women the Duke responds to.’

Elise interpreted Puccino’s advice in her own way.

Thinking that her looks would work on Floyd as well made her body heat up. Elise’s mind was filled only with thoughts of how to catch Floyd’s eye before this party ended.

But such thoughts weren’t just in Elise’s head, but in the minds of most of the women present. Floyd exuded a deep color that drew in butterflies like a flower.

Amidst all this, there was also a group that was more flustered than anyone by Floyd’s appearance.

‘Why is the Duke of Torkan…’

It was Robert.

Robert, who had been serving the nobles out of Lucas’s sight, felt his heart drop at Floyd’s sudden appearance. He knew Floyd was visiting Canta, but he hadn’t expected him to attend a party like this.

‘I guess they’re family after all, for better or worse?’

Rumors circulating said that Floyd wasn’t on good terms with the Gania side, but seeing him deliberately attend such an occasion, it seemed those rumors were false. Perhaps Floyd might even try to protect Lucas.

‘I’m going to die today.’

As an experienced knight, Robert could gauge the difference in skill between himself and Floyd. Even if he threw his life away and charged at him, the tip of his sword would never reach Floyd’s neck.

‘But I can’t give up.’

He had no thoughts of changing the plan.

A good opportunity like today would never come again. It wasn’t easy for a mere knight without status to be in the same space as the Crown Prince of a country.

The rebels dreamed of Canta’s restoration, but with all of Canta’s crown and land deeds in the hands of Gania’s king now, Canta’s independence from Gania was nearly impossible.

‘So at least that bastard…’

Robert glared at Lucas’s sculpture-like face.

‘At least that bastard who betrayed the princess…’

I must kill him. Only then will I have the face to meet the Franche royal family later.

+++

As the shock of the Duke of Torkan’s appearance at the party subsided, music filled the venue. People enjoyed the party while glancing at Floyd.

Laughter erupted here and there, and men and women mingled, stepping in time with the music. Employees moved ceaselessly, carrying silver trays laden with drinks and food.

Meanwhile, Floyd sat on a stool in the corner of the party venue. Occasionally, women who fancied him would approach, trying to strike up a conversation, but they were blocked by Kirshan and couldn’t even exchange glances with Floyd.

Floyd ignored the attention and gazes directed at him and glanced towards Lucas.

Lucas was still glaring at Floyd with a fierce look, which pleased Floyd greatly. When Floyd grinned and waved his hand slightly, Lucas gritted his teeth and turned away abruptly.

Yes, that’s it.

The flashy clothes he wore, arriving a bit late to the party – it was all to see that expression on Lucas’s face.

There should be at least some small pleasures like this. We’ll both be seeing things we don’t want to see soon. Me, and you, and.

‘Roxiana.’

She should be inside Ider Palace by now.

In this palace where he was born and raised, then lost – what thoughts would she be having? What feelings would she be experiencing?

His insides boiled, imagining the longing and sadness she must be feeling. He felt indescribable anger towards Lucas, who was sulking just because he lost some attention at a party, while he had pushed a woman into despair.

“My lord.”

Only at Kirshan’s quiet call did Floyd realize that heat was rising from within him. The stool he had been sitting on was burning black.

“It’s not easy.”

Floyd muttered, containing his emotions.

“It’s not easy to suppress the killing intent.”

“I understand, but you must endure for the sake of the plan.”

“Yes, I must. Then I’ll be able to see an even more amusing sight.”

Floyd, who had been grinning, locked eyes with the woman standing next to Lucas.

She was a petite woman who could fit in one hand, with auburn hair that accentuated her pale skin, large round eyes with blue irises. When her eyes met Floyd’s, she seemed a bit flustered and lowered her gaze, then lifted it again and smiled sweetly.

Floyd twisted one corner of his mouth upwards and said,

“Look at that, Arsen. Lucas’s woman is showing interest in me.”

Arsen had been looking at her too.

Elise Hailis.

A woman who deserved divine punishment for betraying Roxiana despite having her life spared thanks to Roxiana’s generosity.

“If you’re inclined, why don’t you go and kiss her hand?”

When Arsen sneered in an uncharacteristically cold voice, Floyd chuckled.

“Why such frightening words? What if my lips rot?”

“There’s suspicious movement.”

“Aiming for me?”

“They seem wary of you, my lord, but there’s no killing intent. They appear interested in Lucas.”

“Rebels? Yes, this would be the perfect moment to deal with Lucas. It’s also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“What should we do?”

“Leave them be.”

“It could interfere with the plan.”

“Still, leave them be. Planning such a reckless assassination means they must be harboring a lot inside. So leave them be.”

Arsen seemed displeased but didn’t add anything more, silently staring ahead.

+++

Roxiana took slow, deep breaths.

Time passed excruciatingly slowly. She needed to calmly wait for that moment to come, but it was hard to suppress the urge to rush out right away.

She wanted to run out and stand before Lucas and Elise.

Look, I’m here – the one you sold into slavery. See clearly what you’ve done. Confirm what you did.

I crawled out of that terrible hell you threw me into. Now it’s your turn. It’s your turn to enter hell.

She wanted to grab them by the collar, shake them, and scream.

If she shouted like that, spitting blood, would the boulder-like sorrow weighing on her chest disappear?

Knowing it wouldn’t, Roxiana pushed away the impulse and clutched her skirt, staring into the darkness outside the window.

‘Lion.’

She whispered towards her good friend who would be somewhere in that darkness.

“Hurry and cry for me.”