Chapter 4

Episode 4: Lord Enoch France

Contrary to my expectations that he wouldn’t see my face for a while, Kailos immediately came to me in the evening. Holding my hand and observing it, he slightly frowned when he found Lord France’s treatment.

“I already warned you. I can’t protect you from her.”

He muttered with a low sigh.

“If you hurt your body like this, wouldn’t I be upset?”

Oh, it would have been a little more romantic if it weren’t for the following words.

“You are a precious treasure to be given to my brother.”

Slowly bowing his head, he pulled my hand. The handkerchief that Lord France had wrapped around the wound fell on the floor and slipped away. He lightly stepped on the ugly piece of cloth and smiled.

“So be careful from now on, Chloe.”

I moaned quietly at the soft feeling of touching the tip of my hand. He was kissing my wound. I was thrilled by the seductive movement of slowly opening his lips and licking my fingers.

The kiss that started from the fingertips gradually spread throughout the body. My exposed fingertips moved in a hurry to straighten out the clothes that

were trying to get messy. But my humble defence was not enough to stop Kailos’ attack.

“How old are you this year?”

In dizzying excitement, he asked me. I forgot even the answer and hung on to the pleasure he gave me.

“Nineteen years old.”

Instead, it was Lord France, who was standing behind him, answered it. He smiled at me with a satisfied face.

“Yes, it’s about time.”

I didn’t know what he meant by ‘time’. So I was even more sad. Unlike him, who had been waiting for the time to come, I hoped and wished that the time’ would not come.

When the year changed and New Year’s Eve came, Kailos took me to the Emperor’s ball.

“Unfortunately, Chloe.”

Kailos stroked my cheek and said as if he was sad.

“I won’t be by your side tonight.”

Why? He replied first even before I asked.

“If I’m next to you, my brother won’t be able to reach

you.”

“I’m fine, uncle.”

The vaguely drawn corners of my lips trembled.

I had been thinking vaguely. No matter when, my debutante will definitely be with him.

“Instead, Enoch will escort you. Are you really sad?”

Having already seen through my heart, he asked mischievously.

“……very, a little bit.”

I replied with a blurry smile. In an instant, his fingertips slipped down, grabbing my chin. The kiss that came softly was sweet, as always.

“Really, lovely eyes.”

When he removed his lips, he murmured, staring into my eyes.

“But I’ll leave that pretty look for my brother.”

I nodded my head silently.

“Good.”

His palm stroked my head. His slowly approaching lips stopped near my ear and whispered.

“There will be a prize for a good girl. So look forward to it, Chloe.”

When I stopped breathing for a while at the tickling voice in my ears, he burst into laughter and moved away.

Left alone in a devastated state, I was barely able to come to my senses due to Lord Enoch France, who entered shortly after.

“Lady Garnet, the carriage is waiting.”

Lord France bent his knee slightly in front of me and reached out his hand. As instructed, I reached out gracefully and put my palm on his.

As I came out, a waggon with the pattern of the Grand Duke Ludwig awaited. He wasn’t there. I thought we would go to the ballroom together.

It wasn’t until a long time after the carriage started moving that I finally had the courage to ask Lord France, who was sitting across from me.

“What about my uncle?”

“His Highness went with the young lady of Marquis Rosaline.”

I guess his partner tonight was her. It wasn’t very unexpected, but it still broke my heart.

I looked at the window quietly to hide my upset feelings. I could feel Lord France’s gaze, which seemed to stare at me for a while, but soon moved away.

The entire ballroom was shaken by my appearance. The rumour about the ‘Pretty little girl of Garnets, who is under the guardianship of the Grand Duke Ludwig’ was inflated by Kailos.

There were so many people who were curious about me, but Kailos completely blocked me from the world. It was my first appearance, wrapped in a veil.

“Come here, Chloe. Give your greetings to His Majesty.”

Next to Kailos, who had arrived at the ballroom before me, the young lady of Marquis Rosaline stood with a coy look. My gaze went straight to the woman’s wrist, which was naturally draped over his arm. The two of them standing together got along very well.

After asking for understanding from the woman for a while, he took me and walked somewhere.

There was a person sitting on a golden throne with a blank face while looking down as if watching. The moment I thought that man must be an Emperor, my eyes met with his red eyes.

Raymond Del Astaroth. The half-brother of the man love, the owner of the continent, and the war fanatic of Asta.

As a fourteen year old boy Emperor, he personally went to the battlefield with a sword, and he was also the best warrior of the Asta Empire, who never lost, even in a situation where he confronted dozens of soldiers alone.

The people of Asta always loved the Emperor, who was always at the forefront of annihilating enemies, but the man I loved called him a bloodthirsty beast.

“Your Majesty, this is the child I told you about the other day.”

“I see the sun of the Empire. I’m Chloe of the Garnet family.”

I bent my back deeply. Nevertheless, I got goosebumps at the sharp gaze at me.

“Ah, my brother is sponsoring it.”

The boring tone came out half a beat late.

“Raise your head.”

It was a voice that was neither friendly nor sweet, That face, while holding his chin with one hand and smiling crookedly, belonged to the person I had to seduce. An eerie gaze passed through my body.

It was hard to believe that he was a blood-sharing brother with my kailos, who was always benevolent and gentle.

He was a man who lost his family at the early age of fourteen, he was a man who had never been shaken in the past ten years, nor was he afraid of the weight of the coffin on his head.

The Emperor, whom I encountered closely, was a much more fearful opponent than I vaguely imagined.

“Let’s see, as the rumour says.”

The Emperor smiled with a low chuckle. It was difficult to withstand the strong pressure as if to tear up. Kailos, who was smiling casually in front of the Emperor, was admirable.

In fact, this was not the first time I saw the Emperor. A long time ago, I saw the Emperor at an event that followed Kailos.

‘That’s the Emperor, Chloe. The one who you have to seduce.

His unusually large body and red hair, which was clearly seen from afar, caught my eye.

‘The woman next to him is Empress Daria. She has a formal relationship with the Emperor by marriage, but she is greedy. When you show up later, she is a woman who will try to take advantage of you, so you have to be on the lookout.’

A woman with glossy brown hair stood next to the Emperor in an elegant posture.

As I stared carefully at the two, a more friendly voice than ever spread through my ears.

“Remember Chloe. The face of the man to whom you have to show your face full of love!

So I already saw the Emperor at that time. Although this is the first time the Emperor has seen me,

The Emperor and Kailos exchanged a few more words, but not a single word entered my ears properly. I didn’t remember how I left my place and came back.

When I came to my senses, there was Lord France who was worried about me. I smiled hard, saying it was okay.

When the music began, dance requests poured out from all over the place, and I didn’t refuse every time.

While I was dancing, I glanced at the place where the Emperor was. The Emperor, who actually held this ball, was drinking only a glass of wine with a boring expression.

After a few dances, I felt dizzy.

“Why don’t you take a break?”

I walked alone, resisting Lord France who approached me. In fact, it was not because of the dance that made me dizzy. At some point, I was distracted because of the whereabouts of him and the young lady of Marquis Rosaline, who disappeared from the ballroom.

“As expected, there seems to be something between Grand Duke Ludwig and Young Lady Rosaline, right?”

“According to rumours, the two are going to get engaged soon…..”

“I really envy Young lady Rosaline. Honey dripped from the eyes of the Grand Duke, who was looking at Marquis’ young lady.”

“How does it feel to be loved by such a cool and kind Grand Duke?”

The story of the two was buzzing throughout my walk out of the banquet hall and the hallway. While I was dizzy, I even felt nauseous.

When I came out to the empty terrace, the cold night air hit my face. I felt a little relieved.

At that time, a voice was heard from the entrance to the terrace. Even though it was marked that there was a person inside, there was only one person who could enter this place. Everything was as Kailos planned.

“Seeing you again.”

“I see the sun of the Empire…….”

My greetings could not continue more than that. This is because the Emperor’s rough palm grabbed my chin violently. I swallowed my breath and stared at the Emperor. The blurry eyes wet with alcohol contained me.

“If you don’t want to, say no.”

The Emperor was a much more innocent man than heard from Kailos. He should have been rushing me roughly while cutting off the greetings but his thick hands were so naive that he controlled his strength just in case I got hurt.

There would be no one to rebuke him for holding me in this place, and even the red eyes that were afraid of being rejected were naive.

I couldn’t refuse. I curved my eyes as if to seduce the drunk Emperor.

“I don’t hate it.”

As the words became a signal, the Emperor kissed me, I was short of breath due to his strong kiss as if swallowing.

Leaving a kiss full of the scent of alcohol, the Emperor asked me.

“Will you follow me?”

I looked profanely at the Emperor’s face. It was difficult to answer because of the stifling breath that was constantly spitting out of my mouth.

Although there was no answer, the Emperor, who accepted it positively, grinned with satisfaction and went out first. I quietly followed the Emperor.

And that’s how I spent the night with the Empero