“Your Highness, I have heard that all butterflies have a mark of a butterfly somewhere on their bodies! If you check directly here… Ahh!”

He covered his face hurriedly with both hands at the sudden splash of water that flew at him.

Everyone was surprised and looked at Asha.

She had her hand bent towards the bandit, as if she had slapped him.

She had sent the water in the cup on the table flying with the power of the wind.

Through repeated training, she had become able to control this much power at will.

Karaf’s eyes widened slightly.

Asha spoke calmly without changing her expression.

“I wanted to spit in his face, but I dared not do so in your noble presence, Your Highness.”

The bandit’s face turned red and pale after having water poured on him.

Then, at that moment, a ‘thud’ sound was heard.

The bandit looked up at the throne with a stupid face.

Karaf was chuckling and touching his lips.

Seeing him laugh so childishly was a first for Asha, and it felt a bit strange to her.

Even Duran was blinking at the sight of his master’s behavior.

Karaf soon stopped laughing and asked the bandit in a low and cold voice.

“…Dare you now ask a woman to undress?”

His words seemed to contain thorns of iron.

The bandit paled and fell flat on the floor.

“I’m sorry! Your Highness! I, I just thought that it would be better to confirm…”

“Normally, I would have plucked your disgusting tongue and stripped you naked before throwing you out, but considering the effort of bringing the butterfly, I will spare you.”

The bandit hastily bowed his head further to the floor.

“Thank you! For your merciful treatment of my body…”

“Give him a few bunches of gold and jewels and tell him to leave.”

Karaf waved his hand in annoyance, not even listening to his words.

Duran looked down at the bandit with his deep green eyes and spoke coldly.

“If you chatter here without knowing your place, you will really lose your tongue. Leave quietly.”

The bandit quickly shut his mouth with a “eek!”

Those words were not false.

There were more than a few who had lost their tongues for talking back to Karaf in this imperial palace.

As a knight led the bandit out of the chamber, Karaf resumed his careful observation of Asha.

Despite the commotion, Asha remained emotionless, looking calmly only at the floor.

He suddenly grabbed the armrest of the chair and sprang to his feet, then slowly approached like a predatory beast.

With every step, her crimson gown swayed gracefully like a flower petal.

Soon, he who arrived in front of Asha knelt and crouched on the floor.

Asha’s pupils slightly trembled at his bold action, as she looked only at the floor.

“Raise your head.”

He softly looked down with his red eyes, scanning her face, but Asha did not meet his gaze.

With him right in front of her, memories of the first day they met surfaced, and her heart uncontrollably pounded.

Because her face was not clearly visible, Karaf, having come down from the throne, tilted his head in disappointment when she did not show her face.

At the lord’s action, which was nowhere to be found in manners, Duran sighed inwardly beside him.

Frustrated, Karaf quickly grabbed Asha’s chin with his index and thumb and forced her to look at him.

Asha frowned slightly at his rudeness, but the moment she faced him directly, she unknowingly gasped.

As much as she hated to admit it, Karaf was a breathtakingly beautiful man, like a manifestation of a rose.

With skin pale as if carved from moonlight, sharp jawline, clear facial features, lips tinged red as they went inside, and somewhere provocative eyes and long eyelids, he exuded an enchanting and wild charm that seemed to captivate people.

As Asha stared without avoiding his gaze, eyes widened, only then did Karaf raise the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.

His eyes wandering across Asha’s face, he seemed quite pleased with her appearance.

But he soon lifted his chin and looked down at her arrogantly, saying,

“These minorities are all alike, biting at their master. Those who don’t know gratitude and betray should be uprooted like weeds before they grow uncontrollably and trampled.”

Asha looked at him with eyes filled with undisguisable contempt.

Karaf laughed as if he knew she would do so, saying,

“But I’m curious how our butterfly will fare.”

Asha looked at him quizzically, and Karaf spoke as if doing her a favor,

“As the empire’s butterfly, I’ll grant you a special chance to spare your life. How about it? Swear allegiance to me here and now, and come to my room so we can find a way to break the curse together, just the two of us. Bending your pride once is quite a good deal, isn’t it?”

Karaf finished speaking with a sly grin.

His proposition to go to his room together sounded highly offensive.

Even Duran, who had been behind them, stiffened a bit at the lord’s blatant suggestion.

Suddenly recalling the memory of the joint attack, Asha turned her head sharply to the side, forgetting that she needed to present herself well to him.

He was making a huge mistake right now.

His curse was not something simple that could be broken with something like a night together.

If that had really been the solution, she would have already blossomed him dozens of times in the past.

Karaf narrowed his eyes and said,

“I heard you came here willingly to save Likai.”

“……”

“It seems you had quite an affectionate relationship with that commander of yours. Seeing that he chased after the knights to save you until the end.”

When Jackal’s story came up, Asha’s eyes widened.