Chapter 3

“ this way.”

Following the polite old gentleman, Kassia was led somewhere.

They passed through the entrance hall, where the Grand Duke’s crest of black snakes was displayed.

They passed through a dimly lit hall with black chandeliers.

Then they climbed a marble staircase decorated with black wood-grain patterns.

They said hell was underground, but she just kept going higher and higher.

Finally, they reached the fourth floor.

The old gentleman stopped in front of a door and knocked.

“Your Highness, Lady Talpiot has come to have a little chat with you.”

A chat?

The old gentleman completely ignored Kassia’s bewildered expression.

He simply opened the door without warning.

Before she knew what was happening, Kassia had been pushed inside.

And there he was.

Calix Alexevich Verbena Penminid.

The Grand Duke sat with his left leg crossed arrogantly, looking straight at her.

…He’s looking at me!

The Grand Duke Penminid had one corner of his mouth raised in a crooked smile.

Kassia rolled her eyes around, trying to avoid his gaze.

She desperately tried to look away.

But her efforts were useless. Her right cheek felt as though it were on fire.

…Just a little longer.

She only needed a moment to calm her trembling heart.

She thought she could avoid his gaze for a little while…

But the more she avoided making eye contact, the stronger the murderous aura around him seemed to become.

I might become the first person in history to die just from someone’s glare.

Afraid her legs might give way, Kassia forced her eyes open wide.

They said that even if you were dragged into a lion’s den, you could survive as long as you kept your head.

Taking a deep breath, she bent her knees and bowed.

As politely as possible.

“Hello, Your Highness. I hope you’ve been in excellent health.”

“…”

What crime had her greeting committed?

The Grand Duke’s perfectly shaped eyebrows twitched.

Even his eyebrows are handsome.

Without realizing it, Kassia found herself staring at him, captivated by his face.

His expression was so cold that it looked as if ice crystals would fall off if someone scratched it.

His upturned eyes were full of sensual charm.

His red, plump lips looked so tempting that she almost wanted to bite them.

In short, the Grand Duke was a god among men.

He had a face and body that could make the world a better place.

Of course, his personality didn’t seem to match his appearance.

This is just wrong!

If only his personality were as kind as his looks, she wouldn’t have to worry about losing her life.

In the silence, the Grand Duke frowned as if something wasn’t satisfying him.

If she kept wasting time like this, she might become the 3,450,906th person whose head he cut off like grass.

She couldn’t keep hesitating any longer, so Kassia finally opened her tightly pressed lips.

“Ahem. Your Highness, about the love po—”

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows moved violently, far more than just a slight twitch.

It seemed that if she wanted to stay alive, she had better avoid that particular word.

So Kassia deliberately slurred the word and quickly moved on to the next part.

“…As the heir to the Talpiot family, I sincerely regret the trouble you’ve experienced.”

“Regret?”

His voice was deep and firm, like a sharp blade piercing through her.

Even his voice was ridiculously handsome.

It was so irresistibly seductive that it felt as though it could grab her by the hair and pull her in.

Wow. Now I completely understand why Lady Clovis tried to give that villain a love potion!

Still, she couldn’t afford to lose her head while standing in enemy territory.

Kassia covered her ears to avoid listening to his mind-blowing voice.

“Yes, regret. So, on behalf of the Talpiot family, I’ve come to apologize to you. And—”

Once again, her words trailed off.

As she spoke, she stole a glance at the Grand Duke’s closed lips.

He didn’t seem likely to speak anytime soon.

Thud.

She quickly placed the box of potions she had brought onto his desk.

There was another matter she wanted to slip into the conversation after her apology.

“More importantly, you must be upset that you ended up spending the night with me of all people.”

“Upset, you say…”

Why did he keep picking at her words?

She couldn’t exactly complain about it, so she simply went along with him.

Then she narrowed her eyes into the shape of a crescent moon and smiled.

“Very, very upset, I’m sure. Of course! If I were you, I’d want to chop my own head off!”

She nodded enthusiastically, as if she completely understood his feelings.

If acting pathetic could help her live for another thousand years, what was there to lose?

Smiling brightly, Kassia focused entirely on opening the box she had placed on the desk.

Her mission was simple: Save her own neck.

And she had only just taken the first step toward that glorious goal.

Clink.

Kassia picked up a yellow potion bottle from inside the box.

There had never been a negotiation she couldn’t win with this product.

It was both a bargaining tool to calm the Grand Duke’s anger and a secret weapon to save her life.

If the Grand Duke would just accept this potion, hehehe…

She could return to the way things had been before.

Back to the time when she hadn’t even met him!

Overjoyed by the thought, she twitched the corners of her eyes.

Dear customer, let me introduce this wonderful product!

“This yellow potion! If you drink it, you’ll be able to keep it up for three or even four days without any trouble!”

Kassia proudly held up the bottle and announced its benefits.

Nobody disliked this product.

Just look!

Even the Grand Duke was staring at it with interest.

“Keep what up?”

“Come on! You know what I mean. That thing.”

Grinning, she lowered her eyes.

It was as if she were trying to look at the Grand Duke’s lower body, which was hidden behind the desk.

At that moment—

As if warning her not to try anything foolish, the Grand Duke slammed his palm down on the desk.

Crack!

With one light slap, he split the desk neatly in half.

Good grief!

The cracked desk looked just like her own neck, which might soon be chopped off.

Kassia swallowed nervously as the muscles in her face began trembling uncontrollably.

It’s an aphrodisiac, but he might not like it.

Men and women of all ages loved it, but the Grand Duke might be different.

Of course!

Why else would his eyes be filled with so much anger?

If he thought she would be scared just because he glared at her with those demonic eyes, he was mistaken—

“Of course, Your Highness has absolutely no need for such a product. Oh-ho-ho!”

Kassia did her best to produce a cheerful, high-pitched laugh.

She wasn’t scared. She was simply paying attention to her customer’s preferences.

Avoiding the Grand Duke’s sharp gaze, she hurriedly introduced another potion.

She had prepared quite carefully for this visit, after all.

She had brought three potion bottles.

I still have two bottles left!

“This green potion can make even a seventy-year-old man look as young as someone in their twenties. It’s a potion of youth—”

“Kassia Talpiot.”

“Yes?”

“What exactly are you trying to pull?”

Wasn’t it obvious?

“I’m struggling to survive. Your Highness sent me a terrifying message through your knights, basically telling me to come and see you.”

“So you came?”

The Grand Duke pressed his fingers against his temple and looked at her with a crooked gaze.

His mere presence already made her heart pound. And now he was looking at her sideways, too!

Kassia felt as though her throat had closed up, so she complained silently in her mind.

If Your Evil Highness hadn’t pressured me with your knights, we wouldn’t have had to see each other again. We could’ve just enjoyed one clean, mature one-night stand and gone our separate ways.

She couldn’t say those words out loud.

She was in such a pathetic position that she had to swallow half of what she wanted to say, even though she had a mouth.

But staying completely silent wasn’t in her nature, either.

So Kassia timidly glanced at the Grand Duke and muttered,

“You act so petty, then pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Hm.”

He must have heard her quiet mumbling since he was sitting right in front of her.

Even so, the Grand Duke acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

He looked completely calm and absentmindedly tapped the potion bottles with his fingers.

“Is this supposed to be the answer?”

“No. It’s just a bonus. A gift for Your Highness, who works tirelessly day and night for the Empire. A bribe— I mean, a gift.”

“A bribe? So you want me to take this and leave you alone?”

He gets it.

“Ahem. I’d also appreciate it if you spared my life and forgot about the night you spent with someone as pathetic as a little dog like me.”

Kassia rattled on before sneaking a sideways glance at the Grand Duke.

Wouldn’t it be better if one of them simply agreed to forget what had happened?

He should have been celebrating by now.

Instead, he looked dissatisfied, as if something still wasn’t right.

Perhaps that was why his crooked gaze had become even more intense.

“Is that all you want?”

“…”

Was there supposed to be something else?

The Grand Duke’s tone never changed, making it impossible to tell what emotions lay behind his words.

There was no way she could figure out what he was thinking.

She wondered if she could understand him by looking at his face, but his expression remained completely unchanged.

Looking at him, as cold as an ice statue, Kassia tilted her head to one side.

As if generously giving her another chance, the Grand Duke asked again.

“Is there anything else you want?”

“…”

Could he possibly mean…?

Is he saying he’ll forgive me?

As it turned out, the Grand Duke was actually a warm-hearted man!

For a moment, his face seemed to glow with a divine light as Kassia’s eyes sparkled.

It would be rude to refuse someone’s kindness, after all.

“Ahem. If I may add one more thing…”

“Go on.”

“Ever since Your Highness declared that you would wipe out the Talpiot family, things have been getting worse for the potion makers.”

“And?”

“They make their living by selling potions. Wouldn’t it make Your Highness even more wonderful if you showed them a little consideration?”

“I see.”

That’s it?

How was she supposed to interpret his lukewarm response?

Once again, Kassia had no idea.

Judging by their conversation so far, it didn’t seem like things were going badly…

Ah, whatever!

She decided to interpret his words however she pleased.

She wanted to escape the villain’s lair as quickly as possible.

“So you’ll forget everything, right? Right?”

“Well, we’ll see.”

Being vague seemed to be the Grand Duke’s usual way of speaking.

If that was the case, then thinking too deeply about his words would only hurt her.

Besides, he was still absentmindedly rubbing the potion bottles as if he had something else on his mind.

He hadn’t even told her to take the potions back.

Taking that as a positive sign, Kassia prepared to say her final goodbye.

“Then I’ll take it that you’ll spare both me and the Talpiot family. I’ll be on my way now.”

Without wasting another moment, she quickly bent her knees and bowed.

“May peace and happiness bless your household.”

“…”

Kassia smiled brightly, relieved that her mission was complete.

She smiled so widely that the corners of her mouth nearly reached her eyes.

Her face was filled with the wonderful feeling of finally getting a huge weight off her chest.

She felt relieved, but that smile of hers seemed destined to bring trouble.

Twitch.

The Grand Duke’s eyebrows, which seemed to express his thoughts on his behalf, twitched once again.