~Chapter 76~
Johann forced his fading consciousness to focus and began using the mana in his body.
Normally, someone with average mana wouldn’t be able to resist even a little bit of the “Love Potion.”
But Johann had an extraordinary amount of mana—so much that someone like him only came around once every hundred years.
Taking advantage of a brief moment of clarity, he used his strength to swiftly and precisely take down the princess’s attendants.
Even the big ones dropped like flies when he aimed straight for their weak points.
“Whew.”
He quickly turned and escaped the princess’s palace, heading straight to Samuel.
“Haa… Samuel.”
“Your Grace! What happened?”
“…Haa, haa. Take me to the carriage. Now.”
Breathing hard and stumbling, Johann could feel his condition worsening from using mana while already being drugged.
“I’ll help you get to the carriage first.”
Samuel, sharp as ever, didn’t ask more and quickly supported him.
“…We have to leave before the princess’s attendants find me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Samuel asked a nearby servant to bring the Blumhardt carriage as fast as possible.
Thankfully, it arrived before the attendants did.
“……Haa. Ugh, damn it.”
With Samuel’s help, Johann got in the carriage, groaning and sighing deeply.
“Are you alright, Your Grace?”
“…Hell no.”
“What happened at the princess’s palace?”
“She drugged me.”
“What?!”
Samuel jumped up in shock and hit his head on the roof.
“…She gave me the lowest grade of the so-called ‘Love Potion.’”
Samuel immediately told the coachman to get out of the palace at top speed.
“Has she gone completely insane?”
If it was discovered she had illegally drugged a noble, she’d do anything to drag him back to her palace and cover it up.
She didn’t actually need to sleep with him—just make it look like they had.
That way, she could force a marriage.
“Judging by your condition, she gave you a hefty dose.”
Samuel looked at Johann worriedly.
“Even though Your Grace has high resistance to poison and drugs because of your mana…”
Johann looked like he was barely holding it together.
Anyone else would’ve probably lost consciousness already.
It was clear the princess had staked everything on tonight.
“I’ll call a healing mage as soon as we arrive.”
Samuel’s eyes were filled with anger and concern.
Johann nodded slightly, biting his lip so hard it bled.
The carriage finally left the palace and headed for House Blumhardt.
The ride felt like an eternity to Johann.
‘…This is hell.’
Because of the potion, his senses were over-sensitive—even the softness of the couch felt unbearable.
He never thought the princess would stoop this low, especially inside the palace.
She was more foolish and filthy than he’d ever imagined.
He wasn’t going to let this slide. Not a chance.
She might’ve missed her chance tonight, but she’d be suffering just as much.
When they reached the house,
“I’ll be in the room on the first floor. Bring the mage there.”
Johann shook off Samuel’s support and spoke.
“Are you sure you’re okay to walk alone? I can call the driver—”
“…No. I can do it.”
Touching anyone made his skin crawl. It was better to do it alone, even if it was hard.
Samuel ran to the east wing to fetch the mage, and Johann staggered into the entrance hall, panting.
“Haah, haah.”
The halls were quiet and dim, lit only by flickering candlelight.
Just as he was about to open the nearest door—
“…Your Grace?”
Damn it.
It was the one person he didn’t want to run into right now.
“You just got back?”
It was Leah.
Her voice was husky, probably because she had just woken up.
Johann gritted his teeth and focused his mana again.
“…Yeah. Don’t worry about me.”
He forced the words out but stumbled.
“Are you okay?”
Leah rushed over in concern and supported him.
“Oh no, I need to call a healer right away!”
“Samuel already went.”
‘…This is driving me crazy.’
Wherever Leah touched him felt hot—almost burning.
He wanted to shake her off, but just staying conscious was hard enough.
“Your body’s burning up. We need to cool you down first.”
Without knowing anything, Leah held him tighter and opened the door.
“…Just leave.”
He barely managed to speak as soon as they entered the room.
“What are you saying? Your whole body’s burning like fire.”
Ignoring him, she helped him lie back on the bed and ran to the bathroom.
She returned with a cold wet towel.
“…Ugh.”
Johann groaned and clenched his fists.
‘If you stay here, I might lose control. Just go already.’
But she didn’t know how close he was to breaking.
She gently reached toward his face with the towel.
Slap.
“Haah… I’ll do it myself.”
“You’re struggling to even breathe. How are you going to manage that?”
Her scent was overwhelming—different from the princess’s, but even more tempting.
‘Damn that potion.’
Once he detoxed, he swore he’d burn down every shady back-alley place selling this trash.
“I’ll only stay until Samuel gets back.”
Ignoring him, Leah tried to place the towel on his forehead again.
Slap!
This time, Johann couldn’t control his strength.
He accidentally knocked her hand away, and the towel fell to the floor.
“…Sorry.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know you hated it that much.”
She picked up the towel with her head down.
Seeing her so dejected made him feel guilty.
“It’s not that. The princess drugged me, that’s why I’m like this.”
“What?”
Her eyes went wide in shock.
“…So please, just leave me alone.”
“…”
But she didn’t move.
He looked awful—drenched in sweat, bloodshot eyes, and lips torn and bleeding from biting down so hard.
‘If I stay, I’ll just make it worse. I should go.’
“Okay… I’ll just put the towel on your head and then leave.”
She re-wet the towel and came back.
“Keep it on to cool down until the healer arrives.”
“…Fine. Just hurry.”
“Okay.”
She placed the towel on his forehead and was about to leave but paused to check his face one last time.
Their eyes met.
“…”
She couldn’t look away from his red eyes.
And Johann, too, was locked in her gaze.
The moment hung there in silence.
Just as Leah unconsciously reached for his face…
“Your Grace, I brought—!”
Samuel opened the door.
Leah jerked away and looked down, flustered.
“…I’ll go now.”
She hurried out of the room, her cheeks blazing red.
“…Took you long enough.”
Johann sighed deeply.
“Did we interrupt something?”
The mage whispered to Samuel, clueless.
“Hmm, I don’t think so…” Samuel glanced at Johann’s exhausted face.
“…Then hurry up and detox me.”
With a cold tone, Johann shut them up, and the mage quickly began the healing.
It had been one hell of a night for Johann.
—
Meanwhile…
“He’s not anywhere?”
The princess, Patrizia, shouted sharply.
“What about the Blumhardt carriage?”
“It’s gone too,” the servants reported.
“You couldn’t even catch one sick, drugged man?!”
What now? What do I do now?!
If he reports this, I’m screwed!
‘If the whole empire finds out the princess used a sleazy street drug…’
Patrizia nervously bit her nails and paced.
Then suddenly, she ran out of the palace, followed by worried maids and attendants.
“…Florian! Florian!”
She arrived at her brother’s palace.
“Why are you here, sis?”
“What do I do?! What now?!”
“The drug didn’t work?”
Florian tilted his head.
“Duke Blumhardt ran off.”
Her voice trembled with panic.
“…He’s not gonna let this slide!”
“Seriously? You had it all set up, and you still failed?”
“Now Mom and Dad are going to find out! I never should’ve listened to you!”
She pointed accusingly at her brother.
“You said you’d do anything to make it work,” he said with a mocking smirk, hands in his pockets.
“If you hadn’t given me that trashy drug…!”
She grabbed his collar.
“You’re blaming me? You made the choice.”
He pried her hands off.
“Even if the engagement gets canceled, how am I supposed to show my face in society now?!”
She was almost crying.
“…Do you think Mom will forgive me?”
More than losing face, she feared their mother—Narcissa.
‘I can skip social events for a while, but if Mom finds out…’
She shuddered.
“Well, judging by her temper…”
“…What if she doesn’t forgive me?!”
As Patrizia fell into despair, starting to collapse—
“What is it that I’m not supposed to forgive?”
Their mother, Narcia, appeared.
Patrizia’s eyes filled with sheer terror.
