Arthur was so entranced by Celia’s beauty that he failed to notice someone approaching from behind.

His mind was occupied solely by thoughts of how best to preserve the beautiful Celia forever.

“Perhaps I should think of a way to keep every part of you vividly alive?”

Dietrich saw Arthur on top of Celia, lying over her on the bed, and instantly threw a punch the moment he laid eyes on him.

Thud!

Struck hard at the back of his head, Arthur collapsed onto Celia’s body.

The weak poison in his hand splattered in all directions, staining various parts of Celia’s body.

Celia quickly pulled herself away and scrambled down from the bed.

“What is this…?!”

Dietrich’s voice tried to remain calm, yet was already highly agitated.

Celia wiped the dirty blood from Arthur off her lips with her hand and said,

“This madman… I don’t know how he got in, but when I opened my eyes, he was already on top of me.”

Dietrich glared at Arthur, who lay collapsed face-down on the bed. He was unconscious from just one punch from Dietrich.

“Damn it!”

Dietrich deeply regretted leaving Celia alone even for a moment.

He hadn’t expected two men in a row to attempt the same vile act in a single day.

But the damage had already been done.

Dietrich placed a hand on Celia’s shoulder, his eyes narrowing.

“…Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No. I’d have been, if you’d arrived just a little later.”

Dietrich pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood off Celia’s face.

“I’m sorry.”

Dietrich pulled Celia into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

His firm chest gave her a deep sense of calm, as if washing away all the unpleasantness she had just experienced.

Still holding Celia close, Dietrich looked at Arthur, who lay crumpled on the bed.

If it were up to him, he would immediately draw his sword and sever the man’s limbs and head from his body, but he didn’t want to show Celia such a gruesome, blood-spattered scene that would make her cringe.

Yet, he couldn’t possibly let Arthur, who was constantly eyeing Celia with ill intent, go free either.

Furthermore, though the palace was nearly within Dietrich’s grasp, it wasn’t fully under his control yet.

Killing Arthur inside the palace could lead to rumors leaking out at any moment.

If the palace maids or servants discovered that Dietrich had killed Arthur, the news would spread across all of Abelon in an instant.

At this critical moment, when Abelon’s downfall was imminent, he had to be extremely cautious.

“That man is too dangerous. We don’t know what twisted research he might carry out next to cause harm.”

Dietrich called out to Anderson, who was waiting outside.

“Bring me a large sack.”

“Yes, sir, right away!”

Dietrich received a large sack from outside the door, then placed the unconscious Arthur inside and tightly tied the opening shut.

“I’ll take care of him. This man has no place existing in this world.”

Keeping Arthur alive was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

With Arthur sealed inside the sack, Dietrich slipped out of the palace with Celia, avoiding prying eyes.

Outside, the sun was setting.

The carriage arrived at the mountainside, near a riverside.

Dietrich stepped down from the carriage and went to the storage compartment.

The sack containing Arthur.

Dietrich intended to throw the sack into the deep river.

“I should check one last time.”

Worried that Arthur might have schemed something new, Dietrich opened the sack’s opening.

Arthur lay completely unconscious, eyes closed, contained within the sack.

“Wait, could this be a clone, not the real one?”

At Celia’s question, Dietrich shook his head.

“…No. This is the real body. If it were a clone, it would have melted into liquid upon losing consciousness.”

Now, it was time to part ways completely with this madman.

“Anderson.”

Dietrich called out to Anderson.

“Bring me rope and a heavy stone.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Anderson promptly pulled out a sturdy rope from the carriage, as if he had been expecting the order.

“I’ll do it. I can’t let my lord soil his hands.”

With a determined look, Anderson quickly scanned the area, found a heavy rock, wrapped the rope tightly around it, then used the remaining rope to securely tie the sack’s opening.

This way, even if Arthur regained consciousness mid-sink, he would remain submerged in the water, never able to resurface.

“I should double-check.”

Only after confirming the sack’s opening was tightly sealed did Dietrich throw it into the rushing river beneath the waterfall.

“Rest in peace.”

Splash!

Whoosh—.

With a cool sound, the sack rapidly sank beneath the water.

Dietrich waited until the sack had completely disappeared before turning away.

“It’s done. We’ll never have to see that madman again.”

Dietrich pulled Celia into his arms and soothed her. His large hand repeatedly touched and then lifted from her back.

His touch was so tender that Celia thought she wouldn’t mind staying like this forever.

“It seems trouble arises the moment I let my guard down.”

Dietrich’s low voice echoed softly against Celia’s ear.

Dietrich turned to Anderson and spoke.

“Anderson.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“It would be wise to establish an alibi, just in case. Celia and I will proceed separately on foot, not by carriage.”

“Understood.”

“That way, if anyone claims to have seen a suspicious carriage, we’ll have grounds to deny it. Also, keep an eye on Ileon, who’s imprisoned.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Then I’ll return to the palace first.”

Anderson drove the carriage away, disappearing from view. Dust rose along the forest path.

Clop. Clop.

Soon, the carriage Anderson drove vanished from sight.

The forest bathed in the setting sun was as beautiful as a scene from a fairy tale.

Red apples hung from the high branches of trees all around.

“Celia. I’ll never leave you alone again.”

Dietrich pulled her closer into his embrace. Her lustrous silver hair shimmered in the sunset light.

The hand that had been stroking her hair soon moved to her cheek.

Celia’s soft skin met his touch.

She looked up at him, slightly parting her lips. Her white teeth showed faintly between them.

A gentle smile curved Celia’s eyes.

“You always come running whenever I’m in danger.”

Dietrich smiled warmly at her.

Peaceful bird songs echoed in their ears.

Without hesitation, their red lips met.

Celia wrapped her arms around Dietrich’s strong, broad neck.

Thump!

The two collapsed onto the fresh grass.

A drop of dew fell with a soft *plink* from a blade of slightly damp grass.

The natural scent of grass and earth gently wafted through the air.

“Mmm…”

Dietrich carefully cradled Celia, ensuring she wouldn’t get hurt.

Celia closed her eyes as a smooth sensation penetrated her mouth. Dietrich delved deeper into her.

Their sticky saliva mixed, producing a wet sound. It felt like they were melting into one.

Dietrich’s hand moved down toward her legs. When his hand touched Celia’s pale, soft thigh, she shivered.

A soft sound escaped from between Celia’s teeth.

Celia’s body grew increasingly warm. Each of Dietrich’s fingers brought entirely different waves of pleasure and sensation.

What kind of life had this man lived?

Overwhelmed by sensations she had never experienced before, Celia stared up at the sky, at a loss.

The beautiful sunset softly illuminated the forest.

Then, Dietrich brought his lips to her neck.

His warm breath trailed down her neck, clearly reaching her ear.

His lips, gently roaming her slender neck, soon touched every ridge and texture of her skin.

Smack.

A short, sultry sound.

Smack. Smack.

Dietrich kissed slowly from top to bottom.

Each kiss sent sharp waves of emotion through her skin.

Celia felt truly alive.

It was completely different from anything she had ever felt with other men. Dietrich was tender, kind, and passionate.

Each time his body touched hers, she felt healthier and lighter.

If physical intimacy had once been unpleasant for Celia, now the sensation was overwhelmingly euphoric.

Every touch of his fingertips, every breath he exhaled, made her feel as if walking on clouds—an indescribable ecstasy.

Smack. Mwah.

His lips, trailing down her neck, soon reached her collarbone. The silk dress slowly slipped down beneath her chest.

As he pushed the shoulder strap aside, Celia’s straight, prominent collarbone stood out even more. He gently kissed along the ridge.

Celia unintentionally let out a breath. How could she even describe this moment?

It was this wonderful. Something she had never felt in her life. Not even when she successfully killed the Emperor had she felt such catharsis.

Smack—Mwah.

Dietrich’s marks gradually appeared on Celia’s pale skin.

Dietrich acted as if handling something precious—very carefully, yet not too gently.

A leaf swayed by the breeze suddenly dropped with a soft *tap* onto their heads.

The sensation was so unfamiliar, so strange. Her tense neck felt stiff. Yet, Celia’s body strongly desired Dietrich.

Looking at Dietrich’s broad, angular shoulders made her body burn even hotter.

A moan slipped through Celia’s clenched teeth. She couldn’t stop it.

Celia gripped the grass beneath her with both hands.

Dirt and blades of grass scraped into her fingers.

She bit her lip, struggling to keep her mind focused. But if this continued, she didn’t know how long she could hold on. Ten minutes? Not even five.

“….”

Dietrich lifted his head and looked at Celia.

Her sparkling eyes, like stars scattered across the night sky, gazed back at him, slightly unfocused. Her long lashes, curled slightly upward, trembled faintly.

Anyone staring into those eyes would, in time, transform from an ordinary man into a starved wolf.

“You’re driving me mad…”

Dietrich’s deep, low voice reached Celia’s ear.

He pulled his finger from her mouth, then gripped her chin and kissed her.

Dietrich guided her, helping her naturally relax the tension she had unconsciously held in her body.

Dietrich caressed every inch of Celia’s body, observing closely where and how she reacted.

Before long, Celia surrendered completely to his touch.

The tendons on Dietrich’s strong forearms stood out prominently, as if all of them existed solely for Celia.

Thump!

Dietrich tossed aside his outer garment.

He kissed Celia again. If the first kiss had melted softly like the sunset reflecting on the earth, this one was rougher.

In the blissful kiss, both Dietrich and Celia closed their eyes simultaneously. They wished time could stop right here, forever.

A cool breeze blew.

The forest, seemingly arranged just for the two of them, was completely devoid of any other presence.

The many marks Dietrich had left on Celia’s pale skin had turned deep red.

With lips that had always borne scars, he was now carving new ones.

But as if signaling that this was only the beginning, Dietrich pulled down his upper garment.

Snap. Snap-snap.

The sound of buttons popping off echoed. As he removed his top, tightly woven, well-defined muscles came into view.

Celia felt an overwhelming urge to touch Dietrich’s chest.

The moment the thought arose, her hand instinctively reached out and touched his firm, rising chest.