Chapter 40
A pair of icy eyes glared at Agnes with such chilling disdain that she felt a suffocating weight press down on her chest.
“Listen carefully. Don’t ever show your face in front of me again. You clearly didn’t understand my last warning, so I’ll make this one crystal clear—if you ignore it, even Nikolai, whom you’re clinging to now, will be thoroughly isolated.”
“H-How could you say that? We were lovers once!”
“Lovers? Don’t make me laugh.”
His voice was almost identical to before. Franz sneered with contempt.
“So what if we slept together once? If that’s enough for you to consider us lovers, Agnes, how many lovers have you had?”
“…”
“You thought I didn’t know?”
“Franz, please… I was wrong. I won’t see anyone else again. I’ll devote myself to singing. Please, just…”
Franz ground out his cigar with the air of someone who didn’t even want to waste breath on the subject.
“I’m a prince of Lapland. The Grand Duke of Humphries. And you? You’re a gutter-born opera singer. Ah, no—not even that anymore, right? If you’d just focused on singing instead of scheming, maybe you really could’ve become the continent’s top diva. What a waste. That’s a shame.”
He let out a long, exaggerated sigh, as if truly disappointed.
“Listen carefully, Agnes. My responsibilities as a noble come first. Those who act arrogantly or cling with delusions—people like that are nothing but worthless insects to me.”
Agnes stood there, head bowed, utterly dazed.
“And Agnes—”
At the sound of her name, she slowly lifted her head to meet the deep blue eyes that had sunk into an abyss.
“You’re not even worth keeping as a hidden mistress.”
The words, spoken with a honeyed smile, were anything but sweet. They were frigid and dismissive, as if she didn’t even deserve an ounce of value.
Even Iella, who wasn’t the one being insulted, felt her chest tighten at the cold detachment in Franz’s voice. It was such a cruel blow, she shivered involuntarily.
Ah…
Her heart ached. She wasn’t sure if it was from empathy for Agnes or fear of Franz, but the pain lingered like a bruise.
If that voice were ever directed at me… how hopeless would that feel?
No, it wouldn’t just be sorrow. It would be utter misery—despair so deep it would tear the heart apart.
Get a grip, Iella. This prince isn’t someone you can take lightly. If he finds out, I might end up like that too.
Lost in thought, Iella was suddenly pulled back by a low voice.
“Come out.”
Huh? Is he talking to me?
Iella froze, even holding her breath.
“I said come out.”
There was a hint of irritation now.
Wait, is he really talking to me? Am I caught? Ah—forget it. I should just run.
Iella hesitated, then braced herself to move.
But then—
“If you run and I catch you, you’re dead.”
The voice was deadly serious.
What? He said I’ll die…
Frozen in shock, Iella stood as still as a statue.
“If you don’t get caught, I guess you live. If you think you can make it, go ahead and try.”
What do I do? What do I do?!
“I’m counting to three.”
How can I go out like this? He’ll know I was eavesdropping!
While she agonized, Franz began his count.
“One.”
A pause.
“Two.”
Still calm, still cold. Iella couldn’t move, paralyzed in place.
“Three.”
The scrape of a chair pushing back roared in her ears like thunder.
Startled out of her skin, Iella leapt forward—and locked eyes with Franz across the terrace railing.
Before she could even process the situation, Franz walked straight toward her through the garden door. Intimidated, Iella instinctively took a step back.
“I-I mean, um…”
She stumbled back once, twice—then Franz reached out his hand.
“Ack!”
Iella squeezed her eyes shut and flinched, thinking he was about to hit her.
“….”
There was a moment of silence. Then came a sound—an incredulous laugh.
Iella cautiously opened her eyes. Franz stood there, looking at her with an unreadable expression.
It didn’t take long to realize she’d misunderstood. Her cheeks turned red in embarrassment.
Silence again. Franz stared at her for a moment, then asked,
“What exactly are you doing?”
He looked completely baffled, and the shame came crashing down on Iella.
“I-I didn’t mean to…”
With his arms crossed and a look that dared her to keep talking, Iella couldn’t offer any excuse.
“I… I’m sorry.”
“Being treated like garbage doesn’t feel great. Is that really how you see me?”
Even if she had ten mouths, she wouldn’t have been able to explain.
“I didn’t mean it that way. It wasn’t about you. The mood just now… I panicked. That’s all. I’m really sorry—for eavesdropping, for the misunderstanding—everything.”
She bowed her head, mortified.
When Franz didn’t reply, Iella nervously chewed on her lip.
From the beginning, her presence here had annoyed him. If she’d seen his furrowed brows, she would’ve shrunk back even more. Fortunately, her gaze was fixed firmly on the ground.
Not knowing what to do, she eventually summoned the courage to meet his eyes.
“…Are you very angry?”
“Seems like it.”
That didn’t help. If he was angry, say so. If not, then don’t. Seems like it?
Still, she tried to lift the corners of her mouth into a pitiful, apologetic smile.
“Would you forgive me?”
Instead of answering, Franz reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Huh?”
He pulled her close and swiftly moved them behind a nearby pillar.
Ahhh!
Iella nearly screamed. Before she knew it, she was enclosed in his firm embrace. The unexpected closeness took her breath away.
“W-What are you doing?!”
She struggled instinctively, trying to escape, but Franz easily subdued her and pressed a finger to her lips.
She pouted silently, confused and flustered.
Why?!
When she glared up at him, Franz simply jerked his chin toward the terrace. When she quieted and listened, she heard voices—more than just one or two.
Seriously… what now?
She couldn’t stay like this forever, but every point of contact between them felt too… intimate. His hand wrapped around her waist, his palm resting against her back, the firmness of his chest—it was too much. Her nerves were frayed. She couldn’t breathe.
Worse, every point of contact seemed to burn and tingle. Her body flushed, a strange heat rising through her. Just feeling this way made her feel guilty—like she’d done something shameful.
When Iella squirmed uncomfortably, Franz tightened his hold around her waist.
“Hold still.”
He whispered the words right by her ear.
“Mm…!”
The ticklish sensation made her shiver. A strange feeling coiled in her lower stomach.
Franz, too, felt his mind cloud. He looked down at her flustered expression—her ears flushed red, her breath caught.
What is this?
She looked like she thought he was going to devour her whole. Her extreme tension was somehow… affecting him, too.
Why is she so tense? …Don’t tell me this is her first time with a man?
For a woman of twenty, her reactions were far too innocent. That naïveté stirred something in him, made him want to tease her more.
His gaze moved from her small, red-tinted ears to her lips. She was anxiously biting them now, which only made them look even more flushed and full.
Franz clicked his tongue and reached out, gently touching her lower lip.
“Don’t bite them.”
Startled, Iella raised her head. Her eyes wavered in confusion. His gentle voice clashed with his unreadable expression, leaving her even more flustered.
“Listen to me.”
His teasing smile vanished like a lie. What had started as a joke now felt… heavier, more complicated. The mood had shifted, and he didn’t know how to handle it.
Don’t make me want to bite them myself.
He swallowed that sudden urge and tried to stay calm. No matter how tempting the heat of the moment, it would never truly satisfy him.
This sultry tension between them was inevitable—two people, pressed close in secret. But anything beyond this was a line he didn’t want to cross.
Still nestled in his arms, Iella whispered so only he could hear.
“How long do we have to stay like this?”
Her breath brushed against his chest, sending a shiver through him. Franz inwardly clicked his tongue again.
Her innocence was… unexpectedly refreshing.
But the part of himself responding to that innocence—he didn’t like that at all.
He hated how little control he had over it.
