By Zephyria 
The marquis’s mansion was not far from where they were. As they crossed the bridge and arrived at the upper reaches of the river, a magnificent and grand mansion came into view.
The marquis was known to be one of the wealthiest among the high nobility. As befitting the reputation of Valeric, who had held the position of Minister of Finance for several generations, his mansion displayed an impressive grandeur right from the entrance.
“Come in, Marsha! A distinguished guest has arrived, so prepare to welcome them!”
At the master’s command, all the servants of the marquis’s household rushed out to greet the guest.
As Cecile looked around at the dozens of people who had suddenly appeared, he noticed something strange. Despite the large number of people, not a single member of the marquis’s family was in sight.
“Master, what shall we prepare?”
“Hmm, yes. First, some warm bathwater. Sir Cecile, you’ve been caught in the rain, so please take a bath first. In the meantime, I will prepare a comfortable room for you to stay in.”
“Very well, I shall do that.”
His sticky body was indeed quite bothersome. Cecile gladly accepted the marquis’s suggestion.
The marquis’s servants filled the bathtub with hot water. They also added expensive scented oils, filling the air with a rich rose fragrance that was almost overwhelming.
Cecile sank his entire body into the bathwater and relaxed. As the warm heat enveloped him, his thoughts became hazy, and sleepiness washed over him. After such a long day filled with events, his weary body was naturally demanding rest.
Cecile straightened his head, which had fallen back, and pushed his wet hair aside.
‘Just until today, I will rely on the marquis, and as soon as morning breaks, I must leave. I should also borrow some money.’
He hadn’t decided exactly what to do, but he couldn’t just depend on Marquis Valeric indefinitely.
From the marquis’s reaction, it seemed that the news of Cecile’s runaway had not yet spread widely. After all, they would soon come looking for him at the palace, so he thought he might as well enjoy his freedom until then.
Cecile splashed some hot water on his face and finished his bath. He was quite grateful for the marquis’s consideration in preparing clothes for him to change into.
When he stepped outside, Marquis Valeric was standing at the door as if guarding it. He too seemed to have just washed up, with a bit of moisture still in his hair, and he had changed into comfortable clothing.
“I have prepared a simple dinner. Would you like to eat?”
“Hmm, it’s late, but since it’s the marquis’s kindness, I will join you.”
In truth, he was so hungry that his stomach felt like it was sticking to his back. Cecile elegantly accepted the invitation in a tone that dripped with grace.
They then headed to the dining room together. A splendid dinner was laid out on the long table.
The amount of food was so plentiful that it made one wonder if it was truly meant for just the two of them, and the candle holders and fresh flowers decorated around the table were so extravagant that they felt almost burdensome. It was more fitting to call it a banquet than a simple dinner.
Cecile naturally took a seat at the head of the table, while the marquis settled into a place not far from him. As the servants busily moved about serving the meal, Cecile carefully surveyed the vast mansion.
“The house… is very quiet. Is the rest of the family already asleep?”
“There is no one else in this house besides me. I’ve been divorced.”
Marquis Valeric replied while popping a large piece of meat into his mouth. The substance, whether it was blood or juice, glistened on his lips.
“Didn’t my secret hobby become widely known? My wife was someone who accepted my unique tastes, but it seems that being known to others was a different matter. She said she couldn’t bear the shame and left immediately after the divorce, taking the child back to her family’s hometown.”
“Oh… I see.”
Cecile nearly choked for a moment. It was none other than himself who had exposed the marquis’s secret. Who told him to act so perverted?
Marquis Valeric was destined to be divorced anyway. It was just that the timing had come a bit sooner.
“I don’t understand why liking men is something to be ashamed of. It’s unfortunate that you were divorced, but don’t dwell on it too much.”
Still, he felt a strange sense of guilt and defended the marquis.
“No, I’m perfectly fine. Thanks to you, Sir Cecile, even homosexuality has been allowed, hasn’t it?”
“……”
“Rather, I find joy in being able to indulge my desires freely. There hasn’t been a day as carefree as these lately. Hahaha!”
The marquis’s hearty laughter spread across the table. For some reason, a chill ran down Cecile’s spine, and he could no longer bring himself to touch the food. He set down his cutlery and gulped down only water.
It felt as if he had stepped into a place he should not have.
After finishing the meal, the marquis personally guided Cecile to the room where he would be staying. The vast mansion felt like a maze, and it was eerily quiet.
When they reached the guest room on the second floor, the marquis looked at Cecile and once again flashed a mysterious smile before opening the door.
“Are you very tired?”
“Yes.”
“Oh dear, I hope you can enjoy what I have prepared and get some rest.”
With that, the marquis swung the door wide open and pushed Cecile inside.
As he entered the room, a thick scent filled the air, making Cecile quickly cover his nose with his hand. And the moment he laid eyes on the scene before him, he could only let out a gasp of disbelief.
The bedroom was entirely decorated in red. The only piece of furniture was a bed, which was already occupied by someone.
Two young men, upon seeing the marquis and Cecile, lay back on the bed in a practiced manner. Their naked bodies were fully exposed, revealing their enticing forms.
“These are my most cherished bedmates. I would gladly lend them to you, Sir Cecile.”
“Are you insane? I don’t need this.”
“Why not? You certainly requested that I provide you with a place to sleep.”
The marquis chuckled, seemingly amused by Cecile’s wordplay.
Cecile clenched his jaw tightly. Suppressing his rising anger, he forced out each word.
“Are you daring to mock me?”
“Mocking you is out of the question. I am simply honored to host someone with tastes similar to mine. Please consider it my repayment.”
“Repayment?”
“You cannot play crudely in the palace, can you? How long have you been feeling stifled? I intend to introduce you to a new kind of fun today.”
“Marquis!”
Only then did Cecile realize the marquis’s intentions and shouted loudly. The thought of escaping this place surged to the forefront of his mind.
However, the marquis, standing guard at the door, showed no signs of moving aside. No matter how much he pushed, Cecile’s strength was no match for the marquis’s imposing figure.
“Step aside while I’m still being polite.”
“What seems to be the problem?”
“If you have any desire for revenge, it would be wise to give it up. Have you forgotten? I am Cecile Adrian. I am someone you cannot touch recklessly.”
At that, the marquis burst into a hearty laugh.
“What will you do? Are you planning to return to the palace and claim that you were forced into sexual submission by the Minister of Finance?”
“…Let’s stop here. If you let me go, I won’t mention this to anyone.”
“I can’t do that. We are people with similar tastes, aren’t we? Those who are on the same wavelength should comfort each other.”
As the marquis stepped closer, Cecile instinctively took a step back. As he tried to evade him, he soon found his knees touching the edge of the bed.
“You’re not being honest. From the moment you asked me to let you sleep, didn’t you expect something like this?”
“You really want to die, don’t you?”
“Keep whining like that. I actually get excited by it.”
Marquis Valeric shoved Cecile’s shoulder. The force was so strong that he was quickly laid back on the bed. Surrounding him were the bedmates.
As shadows loomed over his face, Cecile panicked and tried to rise. But the bedmates pinned his shoulders and held his limbs down.
“Handle him carefully. He’s a precious body, so you mustn’t injure him.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Let go! Let me go!”
“Shh, calm down. Since you dislike this so much, I can’t leave it to the lowly ones. I will personally show you.”
“Valeric! Do you think I will let you get away with this? Don’t touch me! No! Let me go!”
Cecile screamed at the top of his lungs. But not a single person in the mansion came running at his cries.
Such things happened regularly in the marquis’s mansion. Lately, Marquis Valeric had taken to enjoying sexual encounters with inexperienced men rather than seasoned male courtesans, and he felt immense satisfaction every time he saw them initially resist but eventually succumb to pleasure.
“I may look fat and lazy, but my skills in bed are exceptional. They all scream that they don’t want it, but after a few thrusts, they’re out cold with pleasure.”
Marquis Valeric licked his lips and knelt on one knee on the bed. The day he laid Cecile Adrian on his bed had finally come, and he was already so excited that he was hardening.
At that moment, in the office of the Saint Palace, the lights were still burning bright. Alexis, who seemed to be deeply focused on his work for a long time, casually called the attendant over and asked.
“Where is Cecile?”
The crown prince, who seemed indifferent, inquired about Cecile’s whereabouts, prompting the attendant to respond quickly, as if to quell any fading interest.
“He has not yet returned.”
“……”
Alexis could no longer read a single word on the documents before him. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his eyes with his hands. Even when he tried to clear his thoughts, all that filled his mind was worry for Cecile.
“How long has it been?”
“It has already been 14 hours.”
“……”
Leaning slightly, Alexis stared at the flickering candlelight. Though he said nothing, his tightly clenched fists and the way he bit his lips indicated that he was deep in thought.
“Your Highness, the representative of the Temion delegation, Johannes Albrecht IV, urgently requests an audience.”
“What is it about?”
“He says he has something important to discuss.”
Alexis immediately stood up.
“Tell him I will hear it later. And attendant, bring Claude to me at once.”
“Your Highness.”
“I will go look for Cecile.”