An eerily strange silence enveloped the Crystallos Marquis household.

Originally, after a successful engagement ceremony, the entire marquis family should have been elated as the family of the future crown princess, but with the engagement falling apart, everything had become a mess.

And all because of Nebula, who had been a blemish on the marquis family.

Kayla raised her voice with an expression of disbelief.

“How. How can that pebble be the Duchess of Harencloud? When did she even know that ghost duke? She just came back! So why did you bring her to the engagement ceremony. That girl is a lump of misfortune!”

Serina, with a face pale to the point of being white, just sat with her lips tightly sealed, staring at the mirror.

At that moment, Fredick, the current head of the Crystallos family, entered.

Kayla immediately calmed her excitement and bowed her head briefly.

“Lord Marquis.”

Although Kayla was the Marchioness, she was not the wife of the current head.

He was the younger brother of the previous head.

Serina finally raised her head and stared at Fredick through the mirror.

Fredick approached Serina and murmured briefly.

“Don’t worry about the engagement ceremony. It won’t end like this. His Excellency is doing something for the imperial family even now.”

“I wasn’t worried. It’s obviously nothing.”

Serina finally spoke, and Fredick nodded.

“Of course it’s nothing. That shameful pebble girl is finally causing trouble. Tomorrow I will have an audience with Her Majesty the Empress. So you, to prevent unnecessary rumors, refrain from going out. Yes, rather go to the villa.”

Fredick grasped Serina’s shoulder firmly once and then left the room.

Kayla approached Serina with exaggerated concern.

“That’s right, child. Serina. It’s nothing. So you don’t need to worry at all. Even if that girl became the Duchess of Harencloud, you’re the Crown Princess. You shouldn’t be comparing yourself to a duchess.”

Serina clenched her fist tightly with her sleeve every time Letia was mentioned, her blood boiling in reverse.

“Besides, she may be called a duchess, but she’s just the duke’s plaything. How could a pebble be worthy of the duke’s family? So you’re more noble. You’re a real jewel.”

Kayla stroked Serina’s shining blue hair several times.

Serina grasped Kayla’s hand.

“Serina?”

“But I can’t stand by and watch such a plaything stir up the social world even a little.”

She will definitely make her pay for ruining her engagement ceremony like this.

***

Kalua, who returned to the imperial bedroom from Gaudium, took out another bottle of alcohol despite already being drunk.

Kalua’s appearance now was completely different from the atmosphere he showed in Gaudium.

With an extremely cynical expression, he drank nervously.

At that moment, an irritating voice rang out from outside.

“Your Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress is waiting.”

Kalua frowned at the mention of the empress and waved his hand.

“I’m tired, tell her to come tomorrow.”

But no sooner had Kalua finished speaking than Terisia entered the bedroom.

At that sight, Kalua sneered and filled his glass with alcohol.

“Would the empress like a drink as well?”

“Why are you giving so much power to Harencloud? A wedding at the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony, no less.”

Terisia continued speaking, ignoring Kalua’s words.

Kalua stared at Terisia as if familiar with her behavior, emptying his glass alone.

Unlike Kalua’s disheveled appearance late at night, she was in a breathtakingly flawless state.

Her brilliantly pure platinum blonde hair was tied up without a single strand out of place, and her eyes, full of cold energy, were clearly looking at him but not reflecting him.

Kalua suddenly felt his chest tighten and spoke roughly while drinking alcohol in succession.

“Because the imperial family cannot collapse like this. The Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony can be held again anytime. It’s just an engagement, not a marriage anyway.”

At Kalua’s words, Terisia’s brow hardened, and when wrinkles formed on that straight face, Kalua smiled with a satisfied light.

“Now the nobles will know that Harencloud has been perfectly re-established.”

“Then what about the Crown Prince becoming a laughingstock? What about the Crown Prince’s dignity?”

“Who would dare look down on the Crown Prince when you’re here? When you, another sun of the imperial family, protect the Crown Prince without casting a single shadow.”

As Kalua continued to laugh and sneer, Terisia clenched her fingertips to the point of trembling.

“It’s troublesome if one side’s power grows too much. There needs to be balance. Don’t you agree?”

“……”

At that moment, a voice from outside made the air between the two even more tense.

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought her.”

“Perfect timing. Let her in.”

Shortly after, the emperor’s mistress entered the bedroom, and Kalua immediately embraced her waist and whispered.

“If you’ve said all you have to say, you may leave now. Or would you like to keep watching?”

Terisia looked at the mistress and him before turning her body.

“Don’t forget that Asiz is Your Majesty’s son.”

Kalua grabbed the mistress’s face and kissed her while whispering roughly.

“I must believe it. That he’s my son.”

With vulgar moans continuing in her ears, Terisia left the bedroom.

Terisia’s lips twisted terribly as she exited the bedroom.

‘You’re worried that Yecherute’s power will grow larger. That the imperial family’s power will weaken like this. Who put you in that position when you had no power? Who made you emperor!’

“Kallion, do you think that guy will become a puppet that moves according to your will? Do you think he’ll be grateful that you’re rebuilding the family you destroyed?”

Kalua was foolish then and now.

That’s why he must have had all his glory stolen by his younger brother.

But back then, there was no choice but that foolish man.

‘Now it’s different. The current emperor is old, and his power will wane. So I have no choice but to create a new emperor. A perfect emperor of mine who will never betray me.’

Moila approached Terisia.

Terisia spoke briefly in a calm tone.

“When that wench who just went in comes out, drug her properly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“You’ve already taken care of the Harencloud Duke’s house, right?”

“I’ve already contacted them. It’s the person we planted for a day like this, just in case.”

“That’s right. And now we’re using them like this.”

In the past, when Terisia sent people from the imperial family to the Harencloud Duke’s house, she secretly mixed in people who would be her eyes and ears among them.

“Since they’ve worked for a long time in both the duke’s house and the imperial family, they will never be found out. Not even by the imperial family.”

“Yes, let’s watch for a while and gather information for now.”

Terisia looked at the winter spire visible through the window with a bitter gaze.

Her fingers once again traced the ice pattern engraved on her wrist.

“The emperor’s throne of this country belongs only to my son, Asiz. No one can take it away. No one.”

***

Letia couldn’t even remember how she entered the duke’s house.

After being greeted by servants and maids in a line, she was led in a daze and arrived at the bedroom.

“Your Grace the Duchess, we will help you with your adornment.”

As the maids surrounded Letia saying they would help with her adornment, she couldn’t shake off their hands.

‘It doesn’t matter if these people were sent from the imperial family. The problem is that among them, there are the empress’s people.’

But it wasn’t easy to find out who was the empress’s person. So Letia decided to just watch quietly for now.

‘But I’ll have to do something to be comfortable here.’

Finally, after being adorned by their hands, Letia was left alone in a see-through chemise.

“Th-this……”

The more luxurious the chemise, the thinner and more intimate it was like this.

But for Letia, who always wore ragged clothes to sleep or wore more layers because she hated the cold, it was awkward.

“Is it okay for expensive things to be like this? Shouldn’t expensive things be more thorough and warm? Such an impractical thing……”

“Because it wasn’t made for warmth.”

Letia turned her head with a start.

Somehow Kallion was standing at the door.

He too looked completely different from earlier.

His rock-solid physique was nakedly visible through his half-open shirt, and his black hair, wet as if he had just finished showering, was casually disheveled, but that appearance looked strangely more dangerous.

Kallion approached Letia with long strides, and Letia instinctively curled up and backed away slowly.

“You don’t seem to know the purpose of that outfit at all.”

At the laughter in his tone, Letia flared up.

“Don’t tease me.”

“Shh. They’re all standing outside. Not missing a single word we say.”

Letia stopped at those words, and Kallion came right up to her and met her gaze.

She opened her eyes wide and lowered her voice, conscious of the door.

“Then is it okay if we stay together but sleep separately?”

“Huh?”

At Letia’s innocent words, Kallion’s mouth kept loosening.

She seemed to think that the first night of a married couple literally meant just sleeping together.

‘Empress Terisia didn’t teach her anything about this.’

Did she judge there was no need to teach?

“I’ll sleep on the alcove sofa. Your Grace the Duke, please sleep on the bed.”

“They’ll all know if we don’t sleep together.”

“How? Can they see in here?”

“There’s no sound.”

“Sound?”

Kallion leaned his body more and more towards her, and Letia tried to avoid him but tripped over the bed and fell onto the blanket.

Before Letia could get up, Kallion looked down at her from right above in one breath.

Letia just blinked her eyes, blocked by his large body.

The bed creaked and moved due to the movement of the two.

“This kind of sound should be heard. The sound of the bed shaking, even the slightly different breathing sounds of you and me.”

“Wh-what do you mean……”

Suddenly, Letia was reminded of the kiss at the grand temple.

As the sensation she couldn’t quite block spread, Letia’s face turned red on its own.

Kallion cupped her heated cheek.

“So you don’t know nothing after all.”

“What?”

“Did you recall this?”

He immediately covered Letia’s lips and further restrained her body.

As his deep, heavy breath rushed in, Letia unconsciously stirred her body.

Because of that, the sound of the bed moving was heard more explicitly, making her feel too embarrassed.

At that moment, Kallion opened her lips more forcefully and made her swallow something.

‘What is this?’

Kallion finally raised his head, and Letia felt her body go limp and her vision blur.

“Your Grace the Duke……”

Kallion caressed her with a sad expression.

“Suddenly, suddenly I’m so sleepy……”

“It’s okay, sleep well.”

He lowered his hand over her trembling eyelids.

“I’m sorry. For deceiving you again.”