By Zephyria 
“Y-Your Highness! What brings you here?”
The Marquis was taken aback upon recognizing the man’s identity. Wasn’t he from the Imperial Knight Order?
Alexis looked down at the Marquis Valerie, who was stepping back in surprise, narrowing his eyes.
“You’re overly surprised.”
“N-No, it’s just that the weather is so dreadful. Why would you come here in person?”
The Marquis, unable to face the Crown Prince, spoke while bowing deeply. His gaze, directed at the floor, wandered anxiously, tracing an erratic path.
“I’m looking for Cecile. Are you certain he’s not in the Marquisate?”
“…Yes. I’ve been at home all day due to a cold. I didn’t even have the chance to see him.”
“I see.”
The Marquis managed to lift the corners of his mouth in a strained smile at the seemingly indifferent response. True to his cunning nature, he smoothly spun a seasoned lie even in front of the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness, the weather is harsh. How about stepping inside for a moment to avoid the rain and have a warm cup of tea?”
He even invited the Crown Prince and his entourage into his residence.
However, Alexis had no time to spare for tea and conversation with the Marquis. He slightly furrowed his brow and scanned the quiet interior of the mansion.
“I appreciate the kindness, but I must be going.”
“Y-Yes, if you’re busy, then there’s nothing I can do. Please take care. I hope Cecile is safe. I sincerely wish you find him quickly.”
The Marquis maintained a courteous demeanor until the Crown Prince’s party disappeared into the distance. Once he felt a sense of relief, he slammed the door shut and turned away.
Perhaps realizing that things were not going well, the Marquis’s eyes glinted with a fierceness he had never shown before.
At that moment, Cecile was struggling with all his might to free himself from his bindings. Yet, despite his efforts, the ropes binding his hands and feet would not budge, leaving him exhausted.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”
“A-Are you alright?”
The Head Butler, watching Cecile’s struggles, suddenly noticed his breathing becoming rapid and shuddered.
Cecile’s chest was visibly heaving, likely due to the gag that made it hard for him to breathe.
As his complexion turned pale, the elderly Head Butler was at a loss, waving his hands in the air.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”
Finally, as Cecile’s eyes rolled back, the Head Butler thought something terrible was about to happen and hurriedly loosened the gag in Cecile’s mouth.
“Breathe! Take it slow!”
It was just a moment when he could not untie the ropes binding Cecile’s limbs. Cecile lifted his head and shouted with all his strength.
“Is anyone out there!! There’s a person trapped here!”
“Eek!”
“On this floor! In the bedroom! Please, anyone… ugh!”
The Head Butler quickly covered Cecile’s mouth, and Cecile struggled with all his might. As he opened his mouth wide and bit down on the old man’s finger, the Head Butler yelped and fell back.
“Damn it, someone save me! Please, anyone!”
“Fool! I told you to keep a close watch! You can’t even do that?!”
The bedroom door burst open, and Marquis Valerie discovered the scene. He approached with heavy footsteps, his weight thudding against the floor.
In an instant, the Marquis was on the bed, gripping Cecile’s small chin as if to crush it.
“Do you still have hope that someone will save you? They’ve already left.”
“Ugh! I will definitely kill you. I’ll tear you apart and throw you to the beasts.”
“Ha! This is it! That look in your eyes! I absolutely love it!”
The Marquis pulled Cecile’s chin closer and brought his lips near. Just before their lips touched, Cecile spat in the Marquis’s face, but he licked it up as if it were sweet.
“I wanted to spend our first night together while fully conscious, but it seems that won’t be the case. I’ll have to use a safer method.”
“What?”
“Head Butler, go get more medicine.”
The Marquis sat on Cecile’s waist and forcefully poured the drug into his mouth. With extreme resistance, half of it spilled out while the other half was swallowed.
Not satisfied with that, he kept switching vials and feeding him more. Soon, three empty bottles lay discarded on the bed.
The watching Head Butler trembled as he grabbed the Marquis’s shoulder.
“Master, this… this isn’t right! What are you trying to do? If you’re not careful, he could be completely ruined!”
“Do you think I don’t know that? If the truth comes out, we’re all dead anyway! It’s better to keep it hidden for sure.”
The Marquis pressed down on Cecile’s mouth, watching to ensure he wouldn’t vomit the medicine.
Marquis Valerie knew he was going too far. Originally, he had planned to let the drug take effect slowly, but now there was no time to waste.
If ingested in a short period, the body’s abilities would dull rapidly, and cognitive and linguistic functions would be lost.
Originally intended to relax the body and heighten sexual arousal, anything in excess could become poison.
The Marquis intended to render Cecile completely incapable of cognition. He had seen countless humans in brothels under the influence of drugs. All of them were dull, docile, and only pursued their desires. If Cecile Adrian reached that level, it would be perfect.
Excitement welled up within him. He might have found the ultimate toy to play with for a lifetime.
“Ugh, if I’ve given him this much, the effects should show soon.”
As the Marquis wished, Cecile soon slumped over. He made only faint sounds, his eyes losing their focus and becoming vacant.
After confirming his condition, the Marquis smiled in satisfaction and gestured.
“Untie all the ropes. We’ll move him to the basement.”
“Yes, yes…”
The Head Butler complied with a troubled expression. As he untied the ropes binding Cecile’s wrists and ankles, Cecile became somewhat freer. However, even with his newfound freedom, he lay there like a doll.
The Marquis hoisted Cecile onto his shoulder and secretly headed to the basement. The dark underground space had no windows, and a musty smell lingered.
He laid Cecile on a damp bed that had absorbed moisture. Under the influence of the drug, Cecile couldn’t move a finger, but perhaps some consciousness remained, as his eyes, staring into the void, trembled anxiously.
“Good, good. There’s no need to be too scared. This is a place I really like.”
“…Ugh.”
“Come on, make a sound. If you behave, this master will pamper you as much as you want.”
The Marquis eagerly buried his head inside Cecile’s shirt. Perhaps because the Crown Prince and the knights had come earlier, he felt anxious.
Finding it bothersome to fully undress him, he merely pulled the shirt up to his chin and inhaled the soft scent of his skin. At the same time, the Marquis busied himself pulling down both Cecile’s pants and his own.
As he exhaled hot breaths and busily moved his hands, there came a loud banging at the front door, interrupting the charged atmosphere.
“Damn it! What now!”
The Marquis snapped in anger. Being interrupted repeatedly only heightened his irritation.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
What was the Head Butler doing that he was leaving this unattended? He had strictly instructed the servants never to roam the mansion no matter what, so there was no one to greet the uninvited guest in the middle of the night.
As the loud noise continued, he had no choice but to step in himself. The Marquis hurriedly adjusted his clothes and went upstairs.
Could it be the Crown Prince again? His hand opening the door was rough and impatient.
However, the man standing at the door still had bright platinum hair. His cold, blue eyes stared dryly at the furious Marquis.
“Your Highness. What brings you back?”
“I found it strange upon reflection.”
“Y-Yes? What do you mean?”
“I never said Cecile was in danger, yet you’re wishing for his safety.”
“Well… I only said that because it seemed that way given the atmosphere…”
“I need to search the mansion.”
The Marquis secretly rolled his eyes.
It was a stroke of luck that he had moved Cecile to the basement. But having the Crown Prince thoroughly search his mansion was a different matter entirely.
Watching the Marquis, Alexis spoke even more coldly.
“Step aside.”
Before the Marquis could retreat, the knights stormed into his mansion.
Thud! Thud! Muddy boots left dirty footprints as they moved about, and amidst the nighttime commotion, the servants began to open their doors one by one, revealing frightened faces.
While the knights searched the interior like a hawk, Alexis stood in the central hall, scanning the mansion.
Despite the late hour, the Marquis’s mansion was eerily quiet, and a gloomy atmosphere hung in the air.
Alexis’s gaze traveled up the spiral staircase to this floor. There were numerous doors presumed to be guest rooms, all firmly closed.
If Cecile were staying in this mansion, he would likely have come out at least once upon hearing the commotion.
Is he really not here? Or is he hiding, knowing I’ve come?
Frustration furrowed Alexis’s straight brows. His steps naturally led him toward the staircase.
He ascended to this floor and began to open the doors one by one. As expected, most were empty guest rooms.
Before he knew it, Alexis had reached the end of the corridor. A strangely bitter scent wafted from in front of a door.
Furrowing his brow, he grasped the doorknob. This room was also a bedroom, but the difference was that there were signs someone had been there until just a moment ago.
The red ropes tied to the four posts of the bed and the glaringly bright red wallpaper caught his eye in succession. The large bed in the center was in disarray, and on the floor lay two naked men tangled together in sleep.
“Ha, your filthy hobbies remain unchanged.”
Alexis assumed this room was the Marquis’s bedroom. The evidence of his escapades with Chimno was evident everywhere.
Remembering how he had casually invited him for tea while engaging in such acts made a laugh escape him.
His mood sank to an indescribable low. It might have been due to witnessing the Marquis’s sordid private life, but perhaps it was also because he couldn’t find Cecile despite searching everywhere. He was just about to leave the bedroom and head back down the stairs.
“Your Highness, please take a look at this.”
One of the knights rushed over, claiming to have found something in a pile of trash.
The clothes and shoes the knight presented were soaked, but they looked somewhat familiar.
Alexis instantly recognized them as the clothes Cecile had been wearing the last time he saw him. In an instant, his grip on the staircase railing tightened.