CHAPTER 33……………
Who spent the night with whom?
Charles Wilhelm, the notorious scoundrel and third son of Duke Wilhelm, was asleep in the Marquis of Uzkal couple’s bedchamber, with Empress Consort Hailey in his arms.
All night long he had groveled, kissing the tops of Hailey’s feet and begging her desperately, until finally, at dawn, he collapsed in exhaustion.
But Hailey’s mind was sharper than ever. She looked down at the sleeping Wilhelm with indifference.
Her first love, the man who had taken her first time. There had been a time when Hailey too had been blindly devoted to him.
The status of being the third son of one of the empire’s few ducal houses, and his handsome looks, were more than enough for the vain Hailey to fall for him.
“I love you, Charles. You know you’re the only one for me, right?”
“I feel the same, my sweet Hailey.”
Because it was all new to her, Hailey had given him her body and heart completely. But he was a libertine, and he was seeing several women besides her.
He didn’t even bother to hide it. He was the one who had told her about Yulan.
“You don’t mean you actually slept with a prostitute?”
Hailey’s face twisted in disgust.
“Don’t frown. You know how curious I am.”
Smiling as always, he kissed her cheek shamelessly.
“Even the most forward noble ladies never go all the way. But Yulan is different. She shows a man paradise just shy of death. She’s not called a fallen angel for nothing.”
Seeing him look wistful as he reminisced about Yulan after holding her had deeply wounded Hailey’s pride. Out of spite, she too began keeping lovers.
Before long, she realized something: even without emotional bonds, the pure exchange of bodies had its own thrill.
She also came to understand how selfish Wilhelm had been in bed, caring only for his own pleasure.
At that time, Hailey had still believed she could hide her colorful past and play the part of a pure, virtuous noblewoman before her future husband. She never imagined that the lust-ridden emperor would one day become that husband.
Thinking of her current plight, struggling desperately to satisfy the emperor, she sighed to herself.
As dawn broke, light slowly filled the marquis’s chamber. The side door opened silently, and Yulan stepped out of the dressing room toward the bed.
Sensing her, Hailey sat up.
“How was it?”
“…Honestly, there’s nothing more to teach.”
“Good.”
“I hesitate to say this, but you certainly have talent.”
Hailey rose and wiped away the traces of the wild night without hesitation.
“This isn’t talent. It’s a matter of how clear one’s goal is.”
Quickly dressing, she handed Yulan a heavy pouch.
“If the emperor reacts the same way this man did, I’ll pay you triple the promised amount.”
“So you were very satisfied with his response, I take it.”
Hailey cast a cold glance at the sleeping Wilhelm.
‘Of course I was satisfied.’
A crooked smile curved her lips.
Once ensnared by her skill, Wilhelm had surrendered his body completely to taste the pleasure she gave. Eventually, even when she inflicted pain, he clung to her all the more desperately, begging for more.
If she could make the emperor submit the same way—just the thought thrilled her.
“With His Majesty, you’ll need to be much more discreet. Every gesture must appear unconscious, natural, as if born of uncontrollable passion.”
Hailey nodded at Yulan’s advice.
“Don’t rush. Work slowly. Shy and embarrassed, but bold as if you can’t help yourself because of the excitement.”
To capture the suspicious and sharp emperor, she would have to make it seem as though she truly lost herself in their bed. Disgusting as it was, she thought she could endure it if she imagined another man instead.
Reaching out, Hailey slowly stroked the firm chest of the unconscious Wilhelm. Arrogant and rude he was, but his well-built body was at least worth using.
Closing her eyes to memorize the feel under her hand, she traced down from his shoulders to his chest, then thighs, before rising and leaving the room without hesitation. Yulan followed swiftly.
Waking at the lingering sensation of a tantalizing touch, Wilhelm staggered to his feet, still groggy, and looked around. But silence alone filled the Marquis of Uzkal’s chamber.
“Hailey. Hailey~~!!”
The black carriage that had slipped silently into the marquis’s residence during the night rolled away at dawn without a trace.
“Robbie, guard your shoulder!”
With a warning, I struck sharply toward Robbie’s shoulder. He twisted quickly, but my kick caught him and sent him sprawling.
“Ow…”
Dropping his sword, he grabbed his ankle and sank to the ground. I swiftly knocked his sword further away.
“Spacing out during a spar? If Master had seen that, you’d be stuck doing a hundred frog jumps, no excuses.”
“Hmph. I’m still jet-lagged. If I were at full strength, you wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”
“As if.”
Watching Robbie refuse to admit defeat gave me a thrill.
How long had it been since I’d beaten him at swordplay! Though I hadn’t held a blade for over a year, steady training in Fritan had paid off.
Twisting my sword in the air, I said,
“At this rate, when Mick comes back, maybe I could even challenge him for a real bout. What do you think, Robbie?”
“Hmph. If you come out of it with your head still on your shoulders, you’ll be lucky. Do you really think a battle-hardened berserker like him is your sparring partner?”
“Who said life or death? It’s just a spar!”
But Robbie had been sulking all morning.
“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been cranky for days. I didn’t even beg you to spar, you agreed yourself. Don’t pout now.”
“I’m not upset about sparring.”
“Then what? What’s your problem?”
When I looked at him in confusion, he glared at me, clearly displeased.
“I wasn’t going to say this, but you’re being unfair, Lea.”
He huffed before blurting out,
“All the time I’m with you, all you ever do is talk about your husband!”
“Me? When did I?”
“At lunch, for one. You went on about how asparagus steak is Mick’s favorite, and how he won’t touch cucumbers? I couldn’t care less about your husband’s taste in food!”
Ah… hearing him list such specifics left me speechless.
“You did it in the greenhouse too. Why bring up golden roses that weren’t even there?”
“I just wanted to show you the rare golden roses. If you’d come a little sooner, you’d have seen them. I was only lamenting the bad timing.”
Robbie sighed and added irritably,
“You said golden roses reminded you of me, and then added that Mick crushed them. Hearing that—don’t you realize it felt like he crushed me instead?”
Honestly, I hadn’t thought of it that way. I was only trying to laugh at how ridiculous Mick had been.
“Sorry, I didn’t think about it like that.”
When I apologized right away, Robbie let out a deep sigh.
“And even sparring—are you practicing purely with me, or are you just using me so you can spar with Mick later?”
“How can you say that? Sparring is to improve skills, nothing more.”
That part stung.
Yes, training with Robbie had sharpened me enough to want to test myself against Mick, but I wasn’t using him just for that. Maybe the result was the same, but the intent was different.
“Fine. You’re misunderstanding me, but let’s stop here for today. How about we go riding instead?”
“Riding? In this weather you’ll end up frostbitten on your cheeks and ears.”
“Oh, delicate greenhouse flower Robbie. In Fritan, even kids ride in weather like this with nothing but a vest on.”
“Hah. As if.”
Okay, maybe I exaggerated. He wasn’t buying it.
“Alright, maybe not just a vest. But with proper riding gear, it’s fine. Don’t you want to see Fritan’s famous horses?”
That got his attention. Fritan’s cavalry was renowned across the northern continent for its speed and bravery.
No man could resist curiosity about the fine steeds that carried them.
“Fine. But you’d better prepare proper riding clothes.”
“Of course!!”
I sent Adelle to Madame Russo, the royal designer, to prepare riding clothes for Robbie.
“You’ll be amazed by Fritan’s bloodline steeds. Just wait!” I said, eyes sparkling as I held Robbie’s hand.
“Every royal horse is fine, but none compare to Bloodstorm. He can run for two days straight without water. His speed is—wow! I wish I could show him to you.”
“Why can’t you?”
Caught up bragging, I forgot Robbie’s warning.
“Ah, Bloodstorm is Mick’s horse. Naturally, he took him when he left…”
“Lea, again!!!”
Robbie’s face flushed with anger, and only then did I realize I’d brought Mick up again right in front of him.
“I’m too tired. I’ll rest in my room.”
Shaking off my hand, he left the training grounds with a cold look. He was thoroughly upset.
‘Damn it, why’s he so touchy today? It’s not a crime to mention my husband, is it?’
But from ten years’ experience, I knew chasing after him now would only make it worse. So I backed down quietly.
“See you at dinner then. Tell me if there’s something you want to eat, I’ll inform the kitchen.”
“I’ll skip dinner. I’ve no appetite.”
Now he’s going on hunger strike? I almost lost my temper, but held it back—for Robbie’s sake.
“Alright, rest well.”
I sheathed my sword and tidied the training ground.
Leaving cleanup to the servants was fine, but Sir Pallet had always taught that one must tend one’s own sword personally, and the habit stuck.
“Your Majesty the Queen!”
Just as I was about to retire to my chamber, Chamberlain Colin came running into the training ground, out of breath.
“The Chancellor requests your immediate presence in the Crown Prince’s audience hall.”
“What is it?”
“An envoy from the Kingdom of Malau has just arrived, laden with tribute.”
“That’s something Duke Zenon can handle. Why summon me?”
Colin hesitated, then spoke cautiously.
“The Chancellor followed protocol, verified the items, and issued a receipt. But then Princess Shine, the envoy’s leader, suddenly requested an audience with Prince Mickloc.”
“You told her he’s away, didn’t you!”
“Of course. But she then declared she would remain in Fritan Castle until His Highness returned, and demanded quarters.”
“Sounds very shameless to me.”
“That’s not all. She claimed she had already spent a night with His Highness Mickloc, and thus had every right to stay.”
“What? Who spent the night with whom?”
