‘As expected?’

Dietrich’s words sounded as if he had anticipated her attempt to escape.

Celiya stared at Dietrich with wide eyes.

Dietrich had intended to use her from the very beginning to the end.

So wherever she went, it was her own business, not for Dietrich to interfere with.

‘Even teaching me dagger skills must have been to lower my guard.’

Celiya did not trust Dietrich. She blamed herself for having harbored even a little expectation towards him.

Dietrich looked down at Celiya, who was wary of him, with an unwavering gaze.

Perhaps afraid of incurring Dietrich’s wrath, the knights who had been searching nearby had all disappeared.

With no sound of wind or footsteps, it felt as if time had stopped for a moment.

“Celiya.”

In the quiet stillness, Dietrich’s low baritone echoed.

The voice calling her fake name was unnecessarily sensual.

As Dietrich took a step, the distance between the two narrowed even further.

Dietrich, with one arm resting on a stone pillar, quietly looked down at Celiya.

Celiya filled his red eyes entirely.

Those eyes felt like a cat observing a mouse, causing Celiya to grip the dagger so tightly that her veins protruded.

“Don’t move a step from there. If you consider me your master at all.”

Even as she spoke, Celiya thought it was absurd.

Dietrich stopped moving.

“Master?”

He tilted his head slightly. Following his gesture, a deep shadow fell across his nose bridge.

“Yes…, master.”

Dietrich, as if savoring the word ‘master’, slowly closed and opened his eyes.

“Go back to the stable. I’m saying this for your sake, as your master.”

Celiya pretended not to hear Dietrich’s words.

She rolled her eyes, scanning her surroundings.

Lavender trees were sparsely planted around the fountain adorned with an angel statue.

Between the well-trimmed trees, spotless white sculptures gleamed brightly in the sunlight.

Just as Celiya took a step forward, confirming that there was no one around,

“It would be better to return to the stable while I’m asking nicely. If you don’t want to suffer consequences.”

At Dietrich’s threat, Celiya glared at him with eyes full of anger.

“The emperor must have controlled you in the same way. Despite never truly considering you his master. Pretending to care, pretending to worry.”

“…”

“It’s truly despicable beyond measure.”

Dietrich said nothing. Celiya let out a low laugh as she looked at him.

Wherever she went, it would be better than being beside this man with unfathomable intentions.

Celiya tried to pass right through Dietrich.

At that moment, hot sunlight poured onto Celiya’s face.

Almost simultaneously as Celiya squinted her eyes, Dietrich’s shadow fell over her.

Where the afterimage of the sun that had pierced her eyes sharply had cleared, stood Dietrich in black armor.

“…You know nothing.”

Dietrich continued speaking, looking down at the dagger in Celiya’s hand.

“You have no idea how dangerous this place is.”

At Dietrich’s calm voice, Celiya felt something welling up inside her.

“As you say, I know nothing. Because no one ever told me.”

“…”

“A body that will die in a year anyway, it doesn’t matter what happens to it. Just leave me alone.”

Dietrich’s eyes narrowed.

“Why doesn’t it matter? You are my master.”

Celiya closed her eyes with a soft laugh.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

His words asking if she had intended to run away were wrong.

Because, for Celiya, there was never a place to run away to in the first place.

Celiya was simply utterly disgusted with Dietrich, who only thought of using her.

During her stay at the viscount’s house, she was a means of making money for the mother and daughter, and the object of countless men’s desires.

It’s the same in the imperial palace.

People always only think of using her.

The Dietrich in front of her is the same. Even if he doesn’t desire her, his intention to use her is no different from the Brillion mother and daughter.

Celiya spoke in a soft voice, as if soothing a child.

“Do you need my ability that badly? If you need it, I can give it to you.”

Celiya caressed Dietrich’s neck with her hand not holding the dagger.

On the black armor, the wound Celiya had inflicted was still visible. The bleeding had long stopped, but the scar remained.

Celiya’s hand on Dietrich’s neck slowly stroked his tightly clenched jaw.

His calm and noble gaze showed no wavering whether Celiya’s touch reached him or not.

Eventually, Celiya’s soft hand touched Dietrich’s pale pink lips.

Watching the tightly closed lips being crushed, Celiya thought.

For herself, with barely a year of life left, there was almost no time.

‘A year? It would be a miracle to last even half a year more here.’

Having killed the emperor, now his son coveted her, reducing her to a mere concubine.

Perhaps she could use her ability to kill the crown prince, just as she had killed his father.

But doing so, while it might end the Abelon royal bloodline, would forever erase the chance to find out who her real enemy was.

‘Are the three dukes really the true enemy? How can I believe that? You who only think of using me.’

The angel of Brillion that others talked about was nothing but an illusion, and inside was Celiya, rotting with a blade of revenge being sharpened.

It’s foolish to reveal one’s true intentions straightforwardly.

‘If I kiss you here, how will you react?’

Though she had referred to herself as Dietrich’s master, in reality, she possessed nothing.

In a situation where the crown prince had declared her as his concubine, she didn’t know when Dietrich might change his attitude and turn his blade on her.

Celiya felt the need to clearly confirm whether Dietrich would conspire with her or not.

‘If you can willingly accept what I’m about to do now.’

Sometimes, a single action can reveal a person’s true heart more than a hundred words.

So, what she’s about to do now is not a simple kiss.

This is a test she’s giving.

A test of whether to trust him or not.

A test given by someone driven to the edge of a cliff.

Celiya thought that if Dietrich passed this test, she would be willing to listen to him to some extent.

To put her thoughts into action, Celiya removed her hand that had been stroking Dietrich’s lips.

Celiya put the dagger she had been holding into her bosom.

Dietrich was silently observing Celiya’s actions.

Celiya pulled on his clothes and kissed him.

Soft lips touched, and then hot breath entered.

The soft lips bit his lips as if telling him to part them.

Dietrich was momentarily taken aback but quickly realized Celiya’s intentions.

Celiya had never done such an improper thing before, despite her occasional frivolous words.

Dietrich realized that Celiya was testing him.

As Dietrich parted his lips, warm breath intertwined between them.

Celiya expected Dietrich to push her away soon.

But he acted completely opposite to her expectations.

Dietrich allowed Celiya to freely explore inside him.

Not only that, he lowered his head to make it easier for Celiya to kiss him.

Celiya realized that he had noticed that she was giving him a test.

Celiya embraced his neck as if reproaching Dietrich.

For a moment, she felt Dietrich’s body stiffen.

Celiya thought this time he would surely push her away.

No matter how much he needed her ability, he wouldn’t endure such an act.

Celiya pulled his neck forcefully, stealing his breath.

But even this time, Dietrich did not push Celiya away. He just remained still in that place.

He allowed Celiya to freely explore his breath, to explore his saliva as she pleased.

She thought something was seriously wrong.

It was strange. That he didn’t push her away. And that his saliva tasted too sweet.

While kissing him, she felt as if life was returning to her weakened body.

Celiya thought her thoughts were going too far.

When Dietrich didn’t push her away even after several minutes, contrary to her expectations, Celiya was the first to break the kiss.

As she pulled away, a string of saliva stretched between them.

Opening her eyes, she saw Dietrich with an utterly impassive face.

Without even his earlobes reddening, he calmly gazed at Celiya with eyes showing not a hint of disturbance.

He hadn’t pushed her away.

But that was all. Knowing she was testing him, he had just endured what he disliked.

Celiya bit her lip, feeling foolish for having tried to test Dietrich in this way, even if only for a moment.

Celiya was about to remove her hands from around his neck.

At that moment, Dietrich wrapped one arm around Celiya’s waist.

Celiya looked up at Dietrich, not understanding why.

On Dietrich’s face, which she thought had been calm, there was an unfamiliar emotion she had never seen before.

It looked like anger, confusion, and a raw emotion that seemed like a mix of hatred and killing intent.

Celiya thought Dietrich might kill her.

But what he did was kiss her, just as she had done to him.

Her lips, which had been closed, parted slightly at the meeting of their breaths.

As if taking that as permission, Dietrich explored her mouth just as she had done to him.

Their breaths intertwined, their respirations mixing together.

With his hand not holding her waist, Dietrich gently cradled the back of Celiya’s neck.

Clearly, this kiss had started from doubt, from being unable to trust each other.

Celiya was perplexed, not knowing why Dietrich was doing this. Was he offended that she had dared to test him?

Celiya tried to turn her head to avoid Dietrich’s breath.

But Dietrich didn’t let her go.

His controlled breathing began to grow rougher as time passed.

He, who had been gentlemanly and courteous at first, now violently explored Celiya’s mouth as if extremely angry.

Along with the violent breath, something soft pushed into her mouth.

Continuously, endlessly, over and over, as if time had stopped.