By Zephyria 
“You and I cannot both leave our posts at the same time.”
Alexis firmly rejected Cecile’s request, insisting on fulfilling his royal duties. Instead, he lightly tapped the back of Cecile’s hand.
“I understand your worries, but there will be no problems.”
“You must be careful. As I mentioned, the princess…”
“Do you really think I would mess things up?”
Alexis retorted with a long smile, his condescending gaze and charming smile revealing the superiority that only a crown prince could possess. He would show that he would not waver in the face of any problem. This was also the reason Cecile had fallen for Alexis.
“Just wait quietly.”
With that, Alexis pressed down on Cecile’s shoulder and swiftly left. Left behind, Cecile straightened her twisted posture and tried to fulfill her royal duties once more.
“……”
However, worries do not easily dissipate. Leaning loosely against her chair, Cecile repeatedly racked her brain. She had long since given up on the meal, and even when someone approached to speak, she often let it slide.
The way she chewed her lips made it clear to anyone that her mind was elsewhere. Growing anxious, Cecile ultimately decided to ignore Alexis’s advice and take action. Just as she was about to stand up, pulling her chair back…
“Whoa!”
She collided with Killian, who had approached without a sound. With a startled gasp, the wine glass wobbled, and unfortunately, the red wine spilled all over Cecile.
As the cold wine drenched her, Cecile froze momentarily. It goes without saying that all eyes were on her due to the sudden accident. The bright color of her dress made the red liquid stand out even more.
“Oh no, I’ve ruined your dress.”
Killian immediately tried to remedy the situation. He set down the empty glass and picked up a napkin instead. Just as the white cloth was about to touch her, Cecile raised her hand to stop him.
“It’s fine.”
“You’re soaked.”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
As she stood up, the wine that had pooled at her ankles dripped down, making her appearance even more disheveled. Cecile briefly grimaced but then composed herself, trying to appear calm.
“I need to change my clothes.”
“Yes, Lady Cecile. I will assist you right away.”
Leo, the chamberlain who had been nearby, immediately responded. He had been waiting for the right moment to step in and assist Cecile.
They exited the banquet hall and found a suitable place to rest. Meanwhile, Cecile’s attendants hurried to Peridot Palace to prepare a change of clothes.
“Damn it, there’s not a single decent spot.”
After sending Leo outside, Cecile began to wipe her wet body alone. The smell of wine was overwhelming, having soaked through her entire being.
But perhaps this was a good excuse to escape the banquet hall. Cecile decided to take this opportunity to look for Alexis.
Just then, a light knock sounded at the door.
“That was quick.”
Cecile assumed it was her attendants. She tightened her damp shirt to hide the scar on her chest and hastily buttoned it up.
Before she could even think about how much time had passed, another knock came. Who could be so impatient?
Cecile blew out a puff of air, causing her bangs to flutter. In her haste, she had buttoned her shirt incorrectly. But since she was going to change anyway, she thought it didn’t matter and moved to open the door.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
Irritated, she opened the door, only to find Killian standing there instead of her attendants.
Startled, Cecile hesitated for a moment, and in that instant, he barged into the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and Cecile immediately felt on edge. Somehow, they were now alone together.
“I couldn’t help but worry. I thought I should apologize to ease my mind, so I came to find you.”
“No need for an apology, just leave.”
“You’ve become sharp again. This is your true self, after all.”
With a click, Killian locked the door. Cecile couldn’t understand his actions.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ve always been curious.”
As Killian leisurely stepped forward, Cecile instinctively took a step back. The two maintained a certain distance as they moved deeper into the room.
“When you look at me, I can sense a sudden feeling of disgust. I thought about it carefully. Could it be that we had some connection in the past? But no, I can’t find any significant intersection between us.”
“Disgust? I’ve never seen you that way. You must be misunderstanding something.”
“There’s no way it’s a misunderstanding, Cecile Adrian.”
Killian tilted his head and smirked.
“Believe it or not, I hold real power in Kazharzan. Most people are eager to please me, but it’s rare to find someone who looks at me with such piercing eyes as you do. So, of course, I’m curious.”
At his words, Cecile gave up on maintaining her composure. She let out a small sigh, closed her eyes tightly, and then opened them again. As her eyelids lifted, revealing her fierce gaze, Killian smiled, confirming his expectations.
He suddenly took a step closer. The distance between them became uncomfortably small, but Cecile did not flinch and continued to watch him.
“I had the opportunity to speak privately with Empress Elizabeth yesterday.”
“……”
“It seems she wants to get rid of Alexis and place you in his position. She asked if I could help her.”
Killian whispered the empress’s intentions. His voice, laced with amusement, slithered into Cecile’s ears like a slick snake. She shuddered, her shoulders trembling. A chill ran down her spine.
“It was quite an intriguing proposal. I never expected the empress to be so openly greedy. When I asked what I could gain from it, she said she would give me anything I desired.”
Cecile was momentarily taken aback. The story felt too familiar.
Wasn’t it similar to the first proposal she had made to Killian in her previous life? The only thing that had changed was the speaker, yet the situation flowed in the same way, causing her thoughts to momentarily freeze.
Seeing Cecile’s expression harden, Killian smiled with satisfaction.
“So I casually threw it out there. Would you be willing to sleep with my son?”
“What… did you say?”
“She seemed quite willing to allow it. Of course, she did say to ask for your consent first. She thought you would allow it since your desires are quite substantial.”
The rich scent of wine wafting from her neck delighted Killian. As he leaned in to press his lips against his outstretched neck, Cecile forcefully shoved him away by his shoulder.
“Wake up. I have no intention of doing that.”
“Hmm, really?”
Killian shrugged nonchalantly, as if he had expected her rejection.
“You know I don’t discriminate by gender. I’m not seriously proposing; it’s just for fun. I get to roll around with someone I find appealing, and you get a strong ally. It’s mutually beneficial, isn’t it?”
“……”
“Think it over. I can offer quite a bit of help.”
“……”
“The silence is stretching on. Can I take that as a positive response?”
Cecile knew she needed to escape this situation immediately. But strangely, her feet wouldn’t move.
Killian seized the opportunity and grabbed her by the collar. Bringing his face close to hers, he made a statement that felt like a command.
“What are you doing? Kneel down and come between my legs right now. It would be nice if you could use that pretty mouth of yours to pleasure me.”
One hand gripped her collar while the other pressed down on the top of Cecile’s head. Her head was forced down against her will. Terrible memories flooded back, and she had no choice but to shut her eyes tightly.
At that moment, Alexis was on his way to meet Princess Larisa. After knocking, he opened the door to find the dimly lit interior of the lounge welcoming him.
The lounge was designed for guests to rest comfortably for a short time, so only a candle or two were lit, making it inherently dark.
Alexis scanned the dark room. However, the person he was waiting for, Princess Larisa, was nowhere to be seen.
After all, it was Princess Larisa who was eager for this meeting. Having shown the bare minimum of action, he now had a valid reason to leave this place.
“Princess Larisa Ortega. If you are not here, I will take my leave.”
Alexis spoke into the dark void. Just then, as if waiting for his words, he heard a rustling sound.
Larisa, who had been hiding in the darkness, suddenly dashed out and threw herself at him.
“Alexis! Please stay with me tonight! I would willingly give myself for you!”
Larisa clung to him fearlessly, completely naked. Alexis sighed deeply, keeping his gaze fixed on the void. She was truly an overwhelming woman.
Alexis did not look at Larisa at all; instead, he reached out and yanked the curtains attached to the window.
After wrapping the curtain around her like a blanket, he was finally able to forcefully push the princess away from him.
“It seems you’ve had too much to drink. That can happen.”
“I’m not drunk!”
“Let’s pretend you are. That way, we won’t have to embarrass each other.”
If it was a mistake, he could overlook it, but if she had come at him with intent, he would have to address it.
As Larisa’s seduction was ignored, her face flushed bright red in an instant.
Honestly, she thought that if she charged at him naked, even the cold-hearted crown prince would succumb. But he truly showed no interest, treating her like a mere ornament.
With her pride wounded, Larisa began to tremble as she clutched the curtain. The glare in her eyes, revealed in the darkness, was fierce.
“Do you have a problem with your sexual function? How could this happen?”
“Whether I am disabled or not is none of your concern, princess.”
“I will spread the word! The crown prince of the Berka Empire is actually a serious sexual cripple! He’s delaying marriage because he lacks the confidence to produce an heir!”
Alexis smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth. He was completely unfazed by her threats.
“Do as you wish.”
“Are you really going to marry that saint or whatever?”
Though their relationship was already broken, there was no need to explain it straightforwardly. Alexis looked down at Larisa with a nod of affirmation.
“I am the princess of Kazharzan. If you marry me, I can give you great power! I can help you achieve everything you desire!”
“You’re repeating the same thing.”
Alexis no longer wanted to continue this fruitless confrontation. Just as he was about to turn away from Larisa…
She desperately blocked his path. Even in the darkness, her wide-open eyes revealed how much she was trembling.
“Just wait and see what happens if you leave me here. The saint you cherish, Killian, will take me away.”
“Is that really the best threat you can come up with?”
“You think I can’t do it?”
“I acknowledge that Killian is an attractive person, but I don’t think his charm will work on everyone.”
Alexis replied leisurely. Princess Larisa was currently treading a fine line.
Normally, given his personality, he wouldn’t have tolerated her behavior, no matter how high her status, but Cecile’s request was holding him back strongly.
As Larisa continued to provoke him without success, she let out a sigh mixed with laughter.
“You have quite the faith.”
She brushed her disheveled hair back. Being rejected was already quite humiliating, but having her only family member insulted made her feel even worse.
Larisa pouted her lips and said, “It seems you don’t know what kind of person Killian is. He will definitely bring down anyone he targets. Right now, he’s probably somewhere having his way with Cecile Adrian.”
“…What?”Alexis, who had been enveloped in calmness the whole time, suddenly stiffened. He snapped back fiercely.
“What do you mean by that?”