Chapter 34

“In this world, even Berylia can be afraid of a man. How very fragile.”

“!”

I was genuinely furious at the lines that touched my strong desire to win at everything.

I hated losing, and Rixus was a genius at provocation.

“He told me to tell you this.”

Ires imitated even Rixus’ brazen expression, and returned to being expressionless again.

‘He’s deliberately provoking me. I’m going to shut it down!’

I knew it well from a rational point of view, but Rixus hit the max level of my aggro.

The monarch of a country and the strongest at the peak of notoriety, I, Berylia, was weak…? Moreover, the person I didn’t want to appear as weak to the most was Rixus.

‘If I keep going like this, I’m going to continue to be a weak person, right?!’

My nose was about to get rough out of resentment, but I kept my composure, not even blinking an eye.

‘Yes, let’s see who wins.’

I, who was completely provoked, raised my eyes and responded haughtily.

“Tell Crown Prince Rixius.”

“……”

“I’m leaving right now, so take off your clothes first and wait!”

Ires’ mouth opened wide.

* * *

“It was a mistake!”

Deborah was defending herself before Duke Douglas, who had turned cold.

However, Duke Douglas did not readily accept her excuse.

“Can you call that a mistake?”

“I know. I’ve hurt your reputation with this…… but I’m the Duchess, Deborah Douglas!”

Deborah confidently pointed at her chest with her hand.

Duchess Deborah Douglas.

She was proud to have always walked a path worthy of this noble full name.

“I’m not going to collapse in the social world like this! I’m sure I’ll regain my place in the social world and be in a position where I can give you great strength.”

Duke Douglas’ expression did not change despite her confident remarks.

No, on the contrary, he had a sadder expression on his face.

When he first met Deborah, she was sincere and innocent, although she was merely the young lady of a baron family.

Even in her difficult position, she worked hard without being frustrated. She was very lovely.

Seeing this, the young Duke of Douglas fell completely in love and married her.

But now, Deborah has changed too much.

The person that Duke Douglas loved passionately has changed so much that it felt like an illusion.

“Deborah.”

“……”

“I’m not doing this because I’ve lost face.”(TL/N: ‘lost/lose’ face means to lose other people’s respect.)

The duke furrowed his eyebrows. Eyes that were full of despair pierced her.

“You had another man. You betrayed me!”

Embarrassment crept into Deborah’s eyes.

‘Are you just talking about love?’

Naturally, Deborah thought he was even more angry that he lost face.

This was because, from Deborah’s point of view, losing face and having her position shaken was a more serious issue than being betrayed by love.

She quickly smiled as if to appease the duke.

“Duke Douglas… but wouldn’t the Duke also have a mistress? I was never jealous.”

“……”

“There are more important things in a noble family’s marriage than vain jealousy. Don’t forget that.”

Deborah then exclaimed proudly.

“It’s not a sin to feel a moment of pleasure!”

Duke Douglas replied with disillusioned eyes.

“I’ve never had a mistress during our marriage.”

“!”

Duke Douglas closed his eyes, unable to hide his tired expression.

Then he held out a piece of paper.

“We end things with these divorce papers.”

“……”

“Deborah Douglas, you are no longer a Douglas. We’ll end it here.”

He turned around after saying these harsh words.

Deborah belatedly called out, “Duke!” But it was too late, in the end he didn’t look back.

Left alone, Deborah clenched the divorce papers and screamed hysterically. Veins sprouted from the back of the hand holding the paper.

“Aaaaaah!”

She was so upset that tears crept up in her eyes.

What she valued most was her reputation in society and her own power. And during the latest high priest’s visit, she lost all of it.

In front of everyone, her hair was grabbed and she was dragged out. And she was despised by everyone.

“I’ve lost everything. Everything!”

Her reputation in society had plummeted, and the empress’s power would be taken by Berylia.

‘It is clear that the Queen moved Lucia too…!’

From the moment she chose Lucia as her maid, something seemed dubious.

She must have used a trick back then.

Lucia said she saw the secret meeting while looking for the queen’s earrings. That would certainly not be a coincidence.

Keukkk, kwakk– Deborah trembled as she ripped open the sofa.

“I underestimated the Queen.”

The pain of heartbreaking regrets flooded in, and Deborah wept.

‘Did I just live like this just to end up like this……?’

Deborah’s parents, who were of a barony, were particularly ostentatious.

Her parents were of low status, so they were of the opinion that if they did not act noble, they would be no different from commoners. So they were particularly obsessed with grand things.

However, the family situation was difficult, and Deborah had to take care of their livelihood early in place of her parents who were engrossed in aristocratic play.

The problem was that even Deborah had fantasies and obsessions with grand things under the influence of her parents.

When she came to the shabby house after suffering from hard work, she always dreamed.

A dream to escape reality and become a high-ranking noble.

Whenever she was lucky enough to be invited to a social gathering, she secretly envied the nobles of high status.

She always wondered.

Why was it them and not her?

Why were some people noble from birth, and why did she have to support them from the bottom like this?

Life was the same as eating. Supporting the ones who stepped on her, allowing them to shine.

For Deborah, meeting Duke Douglas was the ‘miracle’ of her life.

At the same time as she got married, she cut off contact with that disgusting household.

She wanted to be reborn. To be more noble than anyone else, like those whom she envied.

But being in the social world was never easy… For her, who went from baroness to duchess, the focus was always on ‘from baroness’.

Deborah expanded her place by gritting her teeth and rolling over and over in social circles.

She cleverly conspired, framed and harmed people if necessary.

‘They have it all anyway, so it doesn’t matter if they lose some, right?’

“What did I do so wrong?”

Deborah’s eyes lit up with resentment and anger.

“As part of the royal family, you have the world since you were born, and you’re trying to take away even what I have? You’re a bitch-like witch.”

It was too much. Such a greedy girl deserved to be kicked out.

That was the woman who should have been pulled out by her hair on the day of the high priest’s visit.

‘I can’t be destroyed like this.’

Definitely… She couldn’t.

She must come up with a good way to find her place again and bring the queen down.

She shifted her eyes anxiously and pondered, then stopped abruptly.

“!”

It came to mind.

One person who would be her powerful strength now.

A person who had no choice but to stand with Deborah even at the risk of his life.

She immediately pulled the string and called the maid.

“I’ll write a letter, so prepare a servant to deliver it right away.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“You have to deliver it quickly. Even if it’s expensive, tell him to use the teleport magic tool and go right away!”

Because the quicker the revenge, the crueler it would be.

* * *

‘…I came to the bathroom. To take a shower together.’

I finally went to the bathroom to find Rixus.

The thick purple door was engraved with the coat of arms of Aktoum in black.

The inside was filled with water vapor mixed with the scent of rose bath oil. It was a unique and alluring scent.

That sexy scent that sometimes emanated from Rixus’ skin.

“Your Majesty the Queen.”

One of the expressionless maids, who exuded a doll-like feel, bowed to me and said,

“His Highness, Crown Prince Rixus, is waiting in the bathroom.”

“……Okay.”

As the maids opened the door, steam obscured my view.

I was dazed and stood still. Meanwhile, the maids took off my clothes and put on a robe that covered from my chest to my thighs.

“Please go inside.”

The maids bowed and backed away.

“……”

Every time my bare foot stepped on the smooth marble floor, a strange scent permeated my lungs.

I called him carefully.

“…Rixus?”

As soon as his name left my mouth, his low, languid voice entered my ears.

“Berylia.”

Because it was the bathroom, there was more resonance than usual.

My heart was beating fast.

Hearing that voice woke me up. I vividly realized what I was going to do right now.

But I couldn’t get out of there.

It was too late.

I took that voice as a guide and began to move forward.

How many steps did I take?

Finally, the hazy view was opened, revealing the silhouette of Rixus.

He was immersed in a circular bath, his broad shoulders and hard chest that were like a beast’s were exposed.

His muscular right arm was laid flat and relaxed on the bath railing, and he was holding an apple in his other hand.

The moment our eyes met, my heart dropped to the floor.

“I’m here.”

Revealing his teeth, he bit the apple.

As if caught by a hunter’s chisel, blue-purple eyes tenaciously stuck to me and followed me.

The eyes sticking to my bare skin were unbearably hot.

‘Ah, somehow…’

I felt like I was in the wrong place.

I knew this instinctively.

The odds of me winning against him tonight were slim.

“I should take a shower separately…”

“…Queen.”

Then, Rixus, who was right in front of me, reached out a big, polite hand.

“It’s slippery, so hold my hand and come in.”

“……”

It was a gentle and sweet voice like a demon leading to hell.

His sharp eyes peeked through wet black hair.

Water drops glided down the muscles on his body.

“Hurry.”

He urged me.

In the end, as if possessed, I grabbed his large hand. I felt like my heart was about to explode from the tension.

In an instant, the corners of Rixus’s lips rose slightly…… Or was I mistaken?

Ame: Part 2 of triple updates, start! Get your champagne ready~