Yuan quickly hid her expression, worried that someone might have seen it.

Then, looking around to see if there was any commotion, she hurriedly returned to Clard’s side.

“They make a good-looking pair.”

“Don’t they? Aren’t they a truly well-matched couple?”

First Prince Boloniko answered hastily.

Emperor Igor grinned, stroking his beard with hands still greasy from chicken.

He smiled, revealing his yellowed teeth, and nodded as he gulped down wine like moonshine.

Indeed.

His nephew, hiding half of his rotten face, was a handsome man as beautiful as a sculpture.

And the small woman by his side was as beautiful as a watercolor painted by a famous artist.

They were a pleasing pair to look at.

“Peliesse. Peliesse…”

First Prince Boloniko peered intently at his father’s face, which seemed lost in thought.

There’s something about Peliesse.

There must be some secret about Peliesse.

Boloniko tried to read the Emperor’s expression to find out something, but ultimately to no avail.

The flash in the Emperor’s blue eyes was momentary, and the more he looked, the more he seemed like a drunken scoundrel as usual.

“It tasted quite good.”

The Emperor answered in a gruff voice.

Boloniko expressed his momentary irritation through his eyebrows but soon smiled like a doll.

“Then enjoy it, eat well.”

There’s plenty of time anyway.

Even if he didn’t get the reaction he wanted, it was enough to just enjoy an interesting sight.

The somewhat rough and free party, more fitting for hunters, was in full swing.

Even though it was a strange party without dancing or music.

When the Emperor’s close associates, drunk, disappeared one by one into the guest rooms, Emperor Igor left, saying he needed to empty his bowels—meaning he was going to the bathroom, so Yuan was shocked to see the Emperor shouting such words for all the hall to hear as he left through the door.

She kept making eye contact with her uncle.

It felt suffocating, and it was also hard to bear her aunt’s glare as she sat next to him. Not to mention her cousins sitting in a row next to her aunt.

Frederick still acted as if Yuan was beneath him, not even nodding when their eyes met, while Regina seemed quite satisfied with the words she had just poured out to Yuan, sipping a non-alcoholic drink with an attractive smile.

Yuan thought she had no reason to be bullied by them anymore, nor any reason to endure it, but she thought it would be better to avoid them if possible.

The place where the Emperor was.

Even Clard, the owner of the mansion, was staying still, so if Yuan caused a commotion, it would be greatly troublesome.

Yuan decided it would be better to pretend to be drunk and go to sleep like other nobles, as the extreme stress was causing her a headache.

When she asked the butler, he said that the welcoming party was over by now, so it wouldn’t be impolite to leave early.

Because not only the Emperor but also Clard had left their seats for a moment, her uncle might quietly sit next to her at any time, saying they should share a drink.

She had already dealt with Regina, and Frederick was a fool, so it would just be unpleasant if she encountered him.

The Emperor’s subtle gaze felt throughout the party.

The suspicious smile of First Prince Boloniko, grinning for no reason.

Trying to avoid her uncle’s gaze, who was desperately trying to make eye contact while Clard sat like a doll without saying a word, she felt dizzy and had to leave.

Yuan smiled fragilely at the butler who offered to call Hilre for her, checking her complexion, and stepped into the corridor.

Coming out into the familiar corridor leading to the main building, she finally felt like she could breathe.

Too much had happened in one day.

The Emperor, the Prince, the high nobles… The only fortunate thing was that her uncle, Count Peliesse, couldn’t easily approach her.

‘If I can just endure one more day by Clard’s side like this…’

As she was thinking that.

In the darkened corridor, a huge hand wrapped around Yuan’s waist and pulled her close.

Yuan looked up at the source of that strength, so surprised she could hardly breathe, to find piercing blue eyes staring down at her.

“Where are you going, smelling so delicious?”

It was Emperor Igor Yufris.

In the dim corridor.

Trapped in his snare in a damp corner far from the commotion, Yuan had to endure his glistening gaze without being able to say a word.

“Your, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm?”

“Why, why are you doing this—”

Yuan knew that Emperor Igor was a scoundrel even without seeing it today.

There were countless people who had suffered from his tyranny, and she vividly remembered her uncle raging about how even Peliesse, who had maintained neutrality, had to curry favor with his son Boloniko.

But this, this…

“I, I am Clard’s…”

“You dare speak of ownership to the Emperor?”

The Emperor’s strength was overwhelming.

He seemed about five times Yuan’s size, and unlike her uncle who was just plump with fat, he was solid and full of strength.

His large hand, covered in thick hair, brazenly caressed Yuan’s waist.

His reddened nose nuzzled against Yuan’s nape.

As the Emperor’s hot breath poured out, the smell of alcohol stung her nose.

Yuan held her breath once and looked around the corridor where no one was passing.

“Hmm? You don’t like it here?”

‘Is it okay to shout that I don’t like it?’

Recalling the articles she had seen in faded newspapers about people who had their heads cut off for falling out of Emperor Igor’s favor, Yuan nodded, trembling.

“I don’t, I don’t like it…”

“But I like it here. It’s beautiful. My black and massive trophy. The hideous ornament and…”

The Emperor grinned, looking straight into Yuan’s confused eyes.

“There’s also delicious food.”

“I’ll guide you back to the, the party room…”

At the mention of delicious food, Yuan tried to escape from his embrace, recalling the Emperor devouring food ravenously.

Emperor Igor smiled, stretching both corners of his mouth even wider, as if watching the squirming of a cute animal. It was a madman’s smile.

“I wonder what you taste like.”

His blue eyes roved over her teary eyes, slender jawline, and disheveled black hair.

“I wonder how you cry.”

What would happen if she screamed?

Would she be swallowed whole with her mouth covered?

Or would she be dragged away like this?

Was there anyone who could save her from this man, whom neither Duke Kompani, nor Duke Lev, nor even Clard, the owner of this mansion, could do anything about?

Yuan bit her lip hard and tried to escape, pretending to support the drunk Emperor.

The sorrow that had been building up since the Emperor first gnawed at her hand as if to devour it began to burst out as tears.

And just as if he had been waiting for those tears, the Emperor’s face leaned towards her.

“Your Majesty.”

As if by magic, Clard’s voice cut through the darkness.

The same as always. A terribly calm and low voice.

How welcome that voice was, which she had always thought indifferent!

“Ah, you’ve come. Clard.”

The Emperor grinned, his nose buried in Yuan’s hair.

He showed no sign of embarrassment at being caught in such a lewd act.

Yuan looked up desperately at Clard, who stood nearby, with a mixture of despair and a glimmer of hope.

She was hugging herself to block the Emperor’s hands that kept creeping up.

And feeling the disgust for herself, needing his help even while resenting Clard, filling her chest, she called out to him.

“Your Highness.”

Emperor Igor is not sane. He’s a scoundrel and a tyrant who defies common sense.

Yuan struggled like a small animal trapped in a pit.

“Your Highness…”

Yuan called out to her husband once more with a tearful voice.

For a moment, Yuan’s desperate face was reflected in Clard’s eyes, then disappeared.

That was all.

Clard passed by them and headed towards the bright and noisy party room.

As if it had nothing to do with him.

Watching his shadow stretch out, Yuan felt as if the world had ended.

She knew better than anyone that she had no right to shout at him and demand why he wasn’t saving his wife right now.

As much as Yuan despaired, the Emperor smiled with satisfaction and strongly embraced Yuan’s shoulders.

And then.

“Your Majesty.”

A large hand strongly gripped Emperor Igor’s shoulder and pulled him back.

The Emperor’s face, which had been laughing lowly, suddenly hardened.

Yuan looked up over the Emperor’s massive shoulder, clenching her trembling jaw.

It was Clard.

Clard had returned.

He addressed Emperor Igor with an utterly impassive face.

“Did you know?”

“Clard. Are you here to save this woman?”

The Emperor soon brightened his face and smiled.

His eyes were bloodshot.

“Hmm? To save your beloved wife?”

Yuan felt a strong force imbue the Emperor’s hands holding her, enough to cut off circulation.

Clard, who had watched all this with a shadowed face, smiled slightly without answering.

As if to say, how could that be. Again, without even glancing at Yuan.

Yuan felt a strange chill as she watched the Emperor scrutinizing his nephew’s face.

“Is there anything more interesting than this?”

Igor’s thick, massive hand firmly grasped Yuan’s waist, lifting her up, and brazenly buried his nose in her nape in front of Clard.

Yuan shuddered.

Thick tears continued to fall on her already wet face.

For a moment, his violet eyes glinted like fake jewels in the light from the party room.

And an even faker smile briefly appeared on Clard’s face.

“Yes, there is.”

And the half-mask that Clard had never taken off since welcoming the Emperor was removed by his own hand.

As the miserable face beneath turned directly towards the Emperor, the strength that seemed like it would never let go of Yuan suddenly loosened.

The night had deepened.

Although the time it took to manifest had gradually decreased.

It’s only a matter of time before those writhing lumps of pain in his neck cover Clard’s entire body and dominate him.

Yuan shook her head, wiping her wet face.

No. No.

Before she could stop him, Clard led the Emperor towards the end of the corridor.