episode_0144

“Where is Yeong-ae?”

Standing guard in front of the cell, Yulian faced the woman standing before him.

In the dimly lit corridor, the man’s voice echoed softly as the woman bowed her waist in greeting.

Even though she was a different woman from the one who had watched over the Empress the day before, a fierce sense of unease gnawed at him to the point of a headache.

“She is inside.”

“And the maid?”

“She has been moved to another room after dinner.”

As the maid spoke, the silver strands of her hair swayed up and down. Without saying another word, the woman opened the tightly closed iron-barred door.

“No matter what sounds you hear, you must never come in.”

At Yulian’s words, the woman lowered her head deeply. Watching her indifferently, Yulian soon stepped inside the cell.

In the room where not a single light was lit, Eleanor was crouched in front of the window. Her fair skin, bathed in the blue moonlight under the delicate veil of night, exuded a mysterious beauty.

In that posture, Eleanor was staring blankly into the darkness beyond.

“Eli.”

Despite the lack of response to his presence, Eleanor finally reacted to the man’s voice echoing softly.

“Have you considered the proposal I made earlier?”

Approaching the hesitating woman cautiously, Yulian knelt carefully in front of Eleanor, enveloping himself in the faint scent of roses emanating from her. Meeting her red eyes and gaze, Eleanor abruptly turned her head away from him.

Nevertheless, Yulian steadfastly expressed his feelings.

“If you stay by my side, I will safely send the maid and your brother back.”

A moment of silence.

At the end, the platinum strands of hair swayed softly.

Finally, Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes met the silver-haired man’s.

“Really.”

Eleanor stared deeply into his eyes. Though trembling, her eyes did not avoid his gaze.

“If I stay by your side, will you release the maid and my brother?”

Her voice, once pure and clear, was now moist with tears. Her trembling eyes seemed as if they would spill droplets with just a slight touch.

Yulian raised his hand towards Eleanor’s tear-streaked face.

“Of course.”

With a prompt response, Eleanor’s gaze, which had been holding on, dropped down.

“Why are you going to such lengths?”

“Because I love you.”

“Is this your idea of love?”

“Once you loved me too, do you not remember that feeling?”

At his words, Eleanor slowly raised her head.

“If the me from back then wasn’t me?”

“Even if you have lost your memory, to me, you are still you.”

Their gazes intertwined. However, their eyes did not see eye to eye.

While Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes defensively approached the unfamiliar man, his gaze was intense and persistent, as if he would devour everything about her.

Naturally, Eleanor turned her head away from him once again.

“I… I decided to stay here not because I love the Duke, but for my people.”

Looking at the Duke’s signet ring on her finger, Eleanor choked on her words.

“I only have eyes for Dmitri.”

Moist pink lips, dripping with a word, made Yulian’s heart sink. His mind darkened.

Not only the fact that Eleonore’s love was absent, but also the jealousy towards Dimitri, who had captured her heart, made Yulian even more miserable.

Therefore, his hand, which had gently touched her cheek, now turned violent and grabbed Eleonore’s chin.

“I will even taint that heart of yours.”

Trembling silver hair.

Slowly approaching red eyes.

Lips exuding the sweet scent of whiskey.

After that, Eleonore could now understand what was coming.

She raised her arm to stop the man. However, she was too weak to stop the approaching man.

“But-”

The words she spat out were dissolved in Yulian’s approaching lips.

The lips of the man she faced wrinkled with yellow eyebrows. Wrinkles formed between his brows, tears streaming down beneath his sky-blue eyes.

The more she pushed him away, the deeper she fell into his embrace.

Roughly pushing his lips.

Red eyes staring at her as if to devour her.

The man’s comforting touch, entwined with Nigella’s scent.

Surely, the kisses until now had been ecstatic, but now they were only terrifying.

Her mouth did not allow it.

It was Eleonore’s pride.

However, with the strange touch felt on her chest and his touch caressing her soft flesh, Eleonore’s pride crumbled.

And the only thing Eleonore could do to escape from him was to bite his lips.

“….”

Yulian recoiled at the unfamiliar pain.

The jealousy that had filled her chest at the traces of Eleonore on his lips calmly subsided.

And only then did he realize what he had done.

“Let go of me!”

“E-Elly!”

Eleonore pushed Yulian’s hand away. She quickly distanced herself from Yulian.

With moist eyes.

Kneeling in front of the bed, Eleonore wrapped her arms around herself and stared at him.

At her sight, a sense of impending doom crept into his mind.

How different would he be from his father, whom he had so dreaded?

Cold mockery flowed from the saliva-drenched lips. Yulian’s hands trembled with self-loathing more than the hostility of his beloved.

“Elly….”

“D-Don’t come near me.”

Her eyes filled with anger and fear.

Yulian, who had been shamelessly staring at Eleonore, now averted his gaze.

“I will release your maid and your betrothed.”

Yulian stood up from his seat.

Without meeting Eleonore’s gaze, he bowed deeply and stood in front of the door of the cage.

“I am truly… sorry, Elly.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say he would let her go.

Left alone in the cage, Eleonore finally buried her face in the bed and burst into tears.

“Dimitri….”

#.

The night at the Ballaty estate was quiet. It felt the same even though the owner had changed. Under the thick darkness, no noise was allowed for the mansion’s servants.

Through the closed gap in the door, Eleanor’s sobbing could vividly be heard by Julian standing in front of the cage.

“Take care of Yeong-ae properly.”

In response to Julian’s command, the woman standing in front of the iron bars nodded her head.

The woman’s crying.

Despite the master’s face looking as if she had lost everything, the woman did not change her expression.

That was the law of the Balati Duke.

As Julian walked down the corridor, the steward of the mansion approached from behind. Even with his presence, Julian did not turn back and gave orders to the steward.

“Bring Albriss to the study immediately. They will be released at dawn. Make sure the preparations are done.”

“Yes, understood.”

The law of the mansion was the same for the steward as well.

Just nodding his head in response to Julian’s command, he did not add any words or emotions.

With that, Julian headed not to his bedroom, but back to the Emperor’s study.

“In the end, am I also a puppet of that bloodline?”

Walking down the long corridor, Julian muttered bitterly.

Upon entering the room that had now become his study, Julian’s first action was to open a new bottle of whiskey placed on the desk.

Not sure how many bottles of whiskey he had consumed yesterday and today, but it seemed impossible to fall asleep without it.

Next to the fancy whiskey bottle, Julian took out a small glass bottle of Shilov’s poison from the desk drawer.

Shilov’s poison was reliable and effective.

Depending on the dosage of the poison used, the time it takes to take effect may vary, but once it enters the body, it leads to death.

If a teaspoon of poison is consumed, death will occur within a few hours.

Just a drop would cause no symptoms, and it would take a week before the person stops breathing.

Therefore, this poison was considered the best for assassins.

The long, beautiful fingers tilted the transparent glass bottle. The colorless liquid inside swirled along with the tilted bottle.

If a drop is poured onto the glass filled with whiskey, perhaps by the time the situation is resolved, its effects will take place.

“Your Highness, I have brought Albriss of Beorn.”

Finally, with a polite knock, the steward’s voice flowed in. Julian stood up from the desk with the whiskey bottle and other items to greet the guest and approached the sofa.

“Please come in.”

Julian sat comfortably on the sofa, leaning back. It was as if he was facing his father that day.

The blond man entered the study, and Julian faced him while pouring a glass full of whiskey.

“Welcome. Please, have a seat.”

Concealing his self-loathing that lingered deep in his throat, he once again put on a mask in front of her brother.