episode_0110

Chapter 110 – Imperial Party

─Rushing water…

The faint sound of water brought her back to consciousness.

“Mmm….”

Skadia, who had been in a deep sleep, barely opened her eyes amidst a hazy sensation.

Beyond her blurry vision, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.

“Where… am I?”

Even though it didn’t feel like she had slept for a long time, her voice was completely hoarse.

It wasn’t that there was a problem with her vocal cords, but rather that speaking felt difficult. She had no strength throughout her body, as if all her muscles had atrophied.

After struggling to somehow raise her body, an ordinary guest room came into view.

It was a space built for rest on the third floor of the party venue.

Of course, it was called a ‘rest’ area, but in reality, it was a place for men and women who had caught each other’s eye at the party to have a one-night escapade.

‘Why am I here…?’

Skadia frowned at the incomprehensible situation, recalling her memories from before she lost consciousness.

Most of her memories were vague, but she at least remembered making eye contact with Ruan, getting annoyed, and then gulping down the wine the other person persistently offered.

Afterward, her mind strangely loosened, and she drank a few more glasses of wine before falling asleep.

As she grasped the general situation, the sound of water abruptly stopped, and the shower room door opened, revealing a man clad in a robe.

He spotted Skadia and grinned.

“Oh, Lady Skadia. Are you awake already?”

“…Young Master Rubio. What is this situation?”

“What situation? Can’t you tell? You collapsed after drinking, and I personally brought you to the guest room.”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking, don’t you?”

Skadia’s eyes glinted sharply.

If she had woken up alone, she might have realized that Rubio had acted out of goodwill.

But she wasn’t alone. Right before her eyes was a half-naked man wearing only a robe. Even without thinking deeply, his intentions were obvious.

Rubio shrugged.

“What are you talking about now? Didn’t you permit it?”

“I permitted it?”

“Yes. When I suggested we go to the room, you agreed. A man and a woman, alone in a guest room? Is there any man who wouldn’t misunderstand this?”

Skadia urgently sifted through her memories.

But no matter how hard she tried, the fog in her mind showed no sign of clearing.

“…It seems that was a slip of the tongue. I apologize, but would you please leave now?”

“Ha, really! Are you joking right now? You’re looking down on me too much, aren’t you? What will you do if I don’t leave?”

Rubio scoffed in disbelief and stepped closer.

Skadia tried to move quickly.

But her legs wouldn’t budge, as if they were stuck to the bed.

“Don’t come any closer. If you approach further, I’ll use magic.”

“Go ahead and try using it. If you can.”

Rubio’s face took on a sinister expression.

Feeling a sense of unease from his expression, Skadia quickly moved her magic. But for some reason, the magic wouldn’t release from her body.

It merely swirled inside her before vanishing emptily.

If this was the case, she couldn’t use magic.

As she cast magic repeatedly in bewilderment, Rubio burst into loud laughter.

“Puhahaha! What’s wrong? Is something not working?”

“…What did you do to me?”

“Well, I don’t know what you mean. Aren’t you just too drunk for your head to work properly?”

“Stop spouting nonsense! Tell me the truth. What did you do?”

Skadia was resolute.

She didn’t entertain the slightest assumption that she might have made a mistake. There was no self-doubt whatsoever.

Such an arrogant and haughty demeanor stimulated the man’s desire.

Rubio admitted the truth.

“It wasn’t much. I just gave you a little sleeping pill.”

“…A sleeping pill?”

“Ah, as a bonus, it also hinders the movement of magic and relaxes muscles.”

“So that was your intention from the start. You trash.”

What Skadia disliked most was the inability to control one’s own desires. An incident from her childhood had left a kind of trauma.

She shot Rubio a contemptuous glare and denounced him.

“Hahaha! Trash? You’re going too far.”

“Going too far? No, ‘trash’ isn’t even enough for you. How many times have you done this?”

Skadia continued the conversation.

It wasn’t out of interest in Rubio’s crimes, but merely to buy time.

She had already told the maid that she would meet her and return home quickly, so by now, the maid must have noticed something suspicious and would be calling for help.

If she was lucky, she could be rescued before Rubio violated her.

The problem was that Rubio wasn’t cooperating with that. He wanted to violate Skadia as soon as possible.

“How many? Hmm… I don’t remember. But rest assured, this is my first time touching a noble. Shall we stop the pointless talk and get down to business? The effects should be kicking in now.”

“Effects? What do you mean─ Ugh!?”

Skadia, who had been expressing doubt, suddenly moaned from a sensation rising from her lower abdomen.

Her womb throbbed.

A spark that flared from deep within her womb instantly spread throughout her entire body. The hot sensation brought her a single impulse.

‘I need a man.’

Despite being a pure, untouched body that had never even masturbated in her life, her flesh craved pleasure.

As Skadia realized that Rubio had given her an aphrodisiac, she became extremely vigilant and struggled to maintain her sanity.

Meanwhile, Rubio approached and stroked Skadia’s shoulder.

“Finally, the effects are kicking in. You woke up a bit too early, so the timing was off.”

“Haa… You. Do you think you’ll get away with something like this? The Maryland Count family won’t forgive you.”

Rubio’s family was the Hermes Viscounty.

Their influence differed as much as heaven and earth compared to the Maryland Count family, a renowned magical house.

The moment Skadia reported this, not only he but his entire family would be utterly destroyed.

But in that situation, Rubio smiled.

“Uhahaha! Of course it would. But that won’t happen.”

“…What?”

“Look over there.”

Rubio pointed to one side.

There was a transparent crystal ball there. It was faintly emitting magical light, as if it was still operating.

What that implied was too clear.

“You’re going to record this with that?”

“Yes. That’s right. The moment you tell your family about this, I’ll release the video. Then the people of the world will pity you, but also scorn you. Men will hope to violate you someday, and women will whisper that you’re dirty. Isn’t that too high a price just to punish someone like me?”

“…….”

Skadia bit her lip tightly.

His words weren’t wrong. Indeed, people would react the same way if this became known. She would instantly become a filthy harlot.

As Skadia fell silent, Rubio, wearing a satisfied smile, lowered his gaze.

“Anyway, we’ve talked too long. It’s getting hard to hold back now. Shall we begin?”

His hand, which had been stickily stroking her shoulder, grabbed the hem of her dress.

Skadia kicked wildly with her feet.

“Don’t touch me! Get away!”

“Stay still. The outcome won’t change anyway. If you’re quiet, I’ll be gentle.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you think I’d allow someone like you?”

Her body screamed to surrender to the man before her, but Skadia ignored it all and rejected Rubio.

Even with her muscles relaxed and her magic blocked, her resistance was fierce.

Finally, Rubio, whose patience had run out, violently slapped her cheek.

SMACK!

“Aack!”

Skadia’s head snapped sharply to the side.

Her brain, already hazy, shook, and she couldn’t maintain her balance. She collapsed weakly onto the bed.

“You goddamn bitch, you’re so annoying! What’s wrong with just giving in?”

Rubio fumed, hissing, and subdued Skadia.

Skadia couldn’t actively resist.

“Ah, no. Get away….”

“Yeah. Just keep resisting, you bitch. That’s what makes it fun to take you.”

Riiiip!

Rubio roughly tore her dress.

Skadia tried to buy even a little more time, but her efforts crumbled with a single gesture from Rubio.

Just as her skin was about to be exposed.

BOOM!

With a tremendous roar, the door was thrown off its hinges, slamming into the wall and shattering.

In the place where the door had been, stood a man.

His face was obscured by shadow, but Skadia felt as if she knew his identity.

A man she hated, yet at the same time, longed for. Someone she didn’t want to see, yet wanted to see; someone she couldn’t trust, yet was more trustworthy than anyone else.

The name of the man who had become the object of her conflicting feelings was.

‘Ruan….’

He, who had now become another woman’s lover, had come to save her.

“Get away from that woman, now.”

In the pitch-black darkness, his silver eyes, filled with rage, gleamed.

*

Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t care.

Because she was a woman who had always hurled harsh words at me, and didn’t hesitate to use other men to provoke my jealousy.

So I should clearly be fine, yet seeing Skadia collapsed made me furious.

The red handprint on her cheek further fueled my anger.

I flung the man I was holding aside.

“Gasp!”

He was the one who had guided me here. The guy who came out of the restroom with the bastard inside.

Ignoring the guy clutching his neck and choking, I entered the guest room.

“Wh-what are you doing! Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something good? Get out now!”

The guy who was about to rape Skadia babbled something nonsensical, seemingly flustered by my appearance.

The woman was clearly not in her right mind, her dress was torn to shreds, and there was even a mark on her cheek; anyone, even a stranger, would know this wasn’t a normal situation.

I let out a twisted laugh in disbelief, approached him, and slapped his cheek.

CRACK!

The moment my strike landed, the magic that permeated shattered his jawbone into tiny pieces and completely destroyed all his teeth.

“Aaaargh!”

He seemed to be in great pain, clutching his face and writhing on the floor.

Frowning at his unpleasant scream, I lifted my foot and stomped on his groin.

CRUNCH!

He said goodbye to his life as a man, and at the same time, he couldn’t even scream, merely gurgling before foaming at the mouth and passing out.

Only then did I approach Skadia.

“Skadia. Are you alright?”

“Ah… Aah─”

Skadia, who had been softly moaning as if sensing a presence, lifted her head. Her eyes were dull, her reason clouded by the aphrodisiac.

However, the moment she saw me, her eyes instantly filled with desire.

“Ruan!!”

Skadia vehemently cried out my name and threw herself into my arms.

“Haa… Haa!”

She pressed her body tightly against mine, breathing hot breaths into my ear.

It was a blatant appeal.

‘She’s completely intoxicated by the aphrodisiac.’

The drug must have been incredibly potent, for Skadia, who had hated me so much, abandoned all pride and clung to me.

I placed my hand on her back.

Using Incarnation, I awakened the power of the Phoenix and purified the aphrodisiac with the flame of purity.

Skadia’s breathing gradually calmed.

And when all traces of the aphrodisiac were purified, she lost consciousness.

I draped my jacket over Skadia’s shoulders.

As I carried her out of the room, Isis, who had been waiting, rushed over.

“Ruan, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m perfectly fine. More importantly, could you take care of things here? I’ll take Skadia to the carriage and come back.”

“Okay. Do that. I’ll hold onto this person.”

“Thank you.”

Leaving things to Isis, I exited the party venue and headed for the carriage.

Renny, the maid, followed close behind.

“That’s such a relief! If Young Master Ruan hadn’t been here, something terrible would have happened.”

“…Tell Skadia to be careful next time. To not carelessly eat whatever others give her.”

“Of course! I’ll be sure to tell her. I don’t know why someone so cautious would do such a thing. If Young Master Ruan had been by her side, this wouldn’t have happened… Ah! M-my apologies. I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

“I know. I don’t mind.”

I stopped Renny, who was repeatedly bowing, and hastened my steps.

Finally arriving at the carriage, I carefully laid her on the seat. Moonlight streaming through the window illuminated her brilliant silver hair.

I stroked her hair.

“It’s still soft.”

When was the last time I touched Skadia’s hair?

I can’t quite remember.

After lingering in my memories for a moment, I soon snapped out of it and exited the carriage.