Chapter 2.
In the original story, Admiral Kelsedny was a being beyond description—something inhuman, impossible to define with any words meant for ordinary people.
The Descartes imperial bloodline, who wielded the power of apostles, possessed abilities such as “multi-ability acquisition” and “ability plunder.” They were apex predators who could dominate or kill ability users and steal their powers.
‘Readers with peculiar tastes like me preferred the Admiral—a crazed, seductive lunatic—even more than Dominique.’
Perhaps because he was set up as far higher in status than the male lead and overwhelmingly powerful, he didn’t appear often, which was disappointing.
‘I want to be utterly despised by a handsome man in uniform.’
It was a perverse thought, but it was also my salvation, so it couldn’t be helped.
With a gentle smile, I stepped closer to Admiral Kelsedny, who was deliberately looking away, showing off his sharp jawline.
“Just as expected of a man admired by all—the ideal type, a state-level beauty. Not only are you handsome, but you even have a good personality. When I look at you, I can practically feel a wall. Do you know what kind of wall that is?”
“……”
“Perfection.”
The Admiral stared at me silently as I rattled off my ridiculous flattery.
Then, the tension in his tightly sealed lips loosened slightly, and a low sigh escaped.
“Ah.”
Seeing his utterly expressionless face, I wondered if he would despise me by at least five thousand points.
[Disfavor increased +100]
But contrary to my expectations, the increase was disappointingly small.
At that level… didn’t it mean he actually liked it?
I’d have to research something so unbearable it would force him to despise me.
“You even saved me when I almost fell from a height of seven centimeters. How should I ever repay this kindness?”
The heels I was wearing today were seven centimeters high.
Perhaps my expression revealed ‘I desperately want your intense contempt’, because the closer I stepped, the more he retreated.
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to get lost?”
“That’s not important.”
What mattered most was this handsome man in uniform from whom I would harvest disfavor.
I let my gaze sweep over his perfectly tailored naval uniform.
In my personal opinion, he exuded a presence far more overwhelming than the male lead.
If I blatantly asked him out on a date, how much would he hate it?
“Um…”
[Disfavor increased +200]
I hadn’t even said anything yet, and he was already rejecting me?
[Disfavor increased +100]
I didn’t even do anything just now. Does he hate me just for breathing?
How very generous of him.
Maintaining elegant manners, I spoke again.
“Ah, my introduction is late. I am—”
A shadow flickered briefly across the Admiral’s brow.
Noticing the champagne glass in his hand tilt slightly, I flinched and hunched my shoulders.
Given his personality, he was the type who wouldn’t hesitate to pour champagne over my head.
But nothing happened.
For some reason, he simply stood there, holding the glass without moving.
“Anyway, nice to meet you.”
Smiling, I casually snatched a passing servant’s champagne glass and clinked it against his. He made a strange expression before pulling his hand back and stating firmly:
“I’m not interested.”
Before I could say anything more, he turned and left with the precise, disciplined stride of a soldier.
I could hear noblewomen secretly mocking me, but I paid them no attention, my gaze fixed on the departing Admiral.
His appearance fully justified the title of the Empire’s greatest beauty, and women were already sneaking glances at him, waiting for a chance to approach.
Perhaps noticing my particularly greedy gaze among them, Admiral Kelsedny looked in my direction, and our eyes met.
The moment I gave him a sweet, smiling look, he abruptly turned his head away.
‘Like a haughty black cat.’
Still, considering he maintained polite speech and ignored me with restraint… he seemed more normal than in the original story.
Was it just the difference between text and reality?
I glanced at the Admiral as he accepted a drink poured by a sycophantic noble. Watching the glass being filled, he tilted his head slightly.
“If His Excellency would look upon this favorably—ahh!”
Pour.
Seeing him casually dump the drink onto the pleading noble’s head, as if watering withered roots, I realized my earlier judgment had been premature.
At that, the ladies who had been waiting for a chance to speak to him quickly scattered.
Cowards. The brave are the ones who win beauty.
Anyway, now that I had confirmed the Admiral’s presence at the banquet…
‘Shall I begin?’
Spotting him had been unexpected, but I had another purpose for attending this banquet.
Pretending to freshen up, I slipped into an empty room and changed into a palace maid’s uniform I had hidden beforehand.
My destination was the annex within the palace where the Admiral was staying.
It was time to carry out my plan to sneak into his room unnoticed.
Of course, even the room’s owner must not know.
My goal was the letter Octavia had sent to Admiral Kelsedny in the original story—a proposal for cooperation.
I didn’t know its exact contents, but since it later became decisive evidence leading to Octavia’s execution, I had to steal it.
Even if I committed no crimes, it could still come back to haunt me.
‘And I need to find out what kind of deal Octavia proposed to him.’
It was currently 9 PM. The banquet would usually end around 4 AM.
Even at the earliest, he’d return around midnight.
Disguised as a maid carrying a laundry basket, I safely arrived at the Admiral’s room and checked my surroundings.
Creak—!
Carefully, I stepped inside. It was luxurious, yet completely devoid of decoration or paintings, giving it an empty feeling.
‘It’s like the room of an obsessive tyrant…’
I set the laundry basket beside the bed and began scanning for where the letter might be.
He didn’t seem like a man who read his mail diligently, so there was a good chance he didn’t even know it had arrived yet.
While searching, I found neatly arranged piles of unopened letters.
‘This feels like looking at a spam inbox where you’ve agreed to all terms and conditions in existence.’
There were too many. No wonder he didn’t read them.
I quickly began checking through them.
Aside from a few sorted important correspondences, about eighty percent were confession letters and fan mail sent to the popular man.
“‘We, the “Skeptics,” wholeheartedly support His Excellency the Admiral, the black jewel of the great sea.’”
He even had a fan club—enough said.
Maybe because his surname was Descartes, the fan club name was oddly philosophical.
Fortunately, I quickly found Octavia’s letter.
As I gathered it, I noticed another letter with strange markings in the recipient field.
‘This… looks like a code?’
It was the high-level encryption Dominique often used in the story.
A sophisticated cipher used by royalty and imperial family members, impossible to decipher without special equipment.
Judging by the fact it was unopened, he hadn’t read it yet.
Sensing something suspicious, I took it as well and moved to leave the room.
Click.
The door opened.
‘Already?’
I had managed to fool the guards by hiding behind the pile of laundry, but pretending to be a maid now would be difficult.
Quickly, I crawled under the bed and held my breath as polished military boots entered the room.
‘Why did he come back so early?’
It was Admiral Kelsedny.
It hadn’t even been twenty minutes since I entered.
Unlike his earlier precise steps, his footsteps now sounded heavy and unsteady.
The smell of alcohol reached even where I hid—he must have drunk heavily in that short time.
‘Is he too drunk to notice someone’s here?’
Beyond the bed where I hid, I saw him collapse onto the sofa, leaning back lazily.
I had thought he’d maintain perfect posture even alone—but he was human after all.
Soon, he picked up a bottle of strong whiskey from the table and began drinking straight from it.
‘More? He’s drinking like someone heartbroken.’
Well, that worked in my favor. I could only hope he’d pass out quickly.
Time passed. More than ten empty bottles accumulated on the table.
My body, curled under the bed, was cramping.
“Haah.”
Sighing repeatedly, his posture looked dangerously fragile, like someone barely enduring life through alcohol.
After draining the last drop from the bottle, he slowly stood.
His boots approached—closer, closer—until the bed creaked.
Rustle.
It sounded like he was undressing; fabric brushing against bare skin.
The clothes were neatly folded and placed into the laundry basket I had set there.
‘He’s that drunk and still does that?’
With that level of discipline, he was definitely the type to shower before sleeping.
Good. I’d escape while he was in the bathroom.
Just as I clenched my fist in resolve, a clean scent and cool air drifted under the bed.
‘Damn magical engineering…’
It was a combat-grade sanitation module developed by my second brother, Vitore, who had once been horrified by unsanitary conditions during a mission—“sunlit fresh bedding scent.”
Having instantly freshened up, he lay back on the bed.
‘Then I’ll have to leave after he falls asleep.’
After some time, his restless movements stopped, and his breathing became steady.
‘…He should be asleep now, right?’
Hearing the rhythmic breathing, I carefully crawled out from under the bed.
Rubbing my cramped legs, I stood and looked down at the Admiral.
Unlike drunkards who passed out in chaotic positions, he lay properly dressed in neat sleepwear.
Moonlight filtering through the curtains softened his flawless face.
His long eyes formed elegant lines, framed by thick lashes; even relaxed, the corners of his lips curved upward, and his sharp nose cast a shadow across his profile.
Trying to seduce me even in sleep—how shameless.
Just as I turned to leave—
“Ah.”
Suddenly, my wrist was grabbed, and I was yanked onto the bed.
Thud—!
My vision spun, and I felt the sheets beneath my back.
“?”
As I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into Admiral Kelsedny’s deep gaze.
Before I knew it, he was above me, pinning my wrist with one hand.
I’d been caught.
As I frantically searched for a way out, my gaze locked onto his face.
His expression was completely different from before.
Whether from alcohol or something else, his reddened eyes looked dangerously alluring.
He smiled as if he had been waiting for a long time.
“Darling, why are you only coming now?”
“…Excuse me?”
Darling?
As I blinked in confusion, his eyes curved beautifully.
Was this really the same cold, indifferent imperial prince?
His tone and aura were so different it felt like a dream.
Was his drunken habit flirting and seduction?
His soft breath brushed against my cheek, carrying a sweet scent of alcohol.
Warmth spread through our touching skin.
Like an affectionate cat, he rubbed his cheek against mine.
“Now that I’ve seen Your Excellency’s face, I have no regrets. I think I should be going—”
I shrank back, clutching the sheets in the strange and dangerous atmosphere.
“Do you want to go?”
With a languid voice, the man—clearly not in his right mind—wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.
We were close enough to feel each other’s breath.
“Th-that means I intend to leave in a completely wholesome sense.”
The moment I clarified, the sensual light in his eyes slowly dimmed, replaced with something sorrowful.
Though his gaze seemed to plead, his words did not.
Tightening his arm around my waist, he whispered:
“If you’ve driven me crazy, you should take responsibility.”
A madness beyond reach lurked within his drunken voice.
