Kishian's question moved me for a moment, but I was concerned that the banquet was not over yet.
I wondered if I could even get up from my seat like this.
"I think I should stay a little longer."
"Why bother? They'll be having fun without us."
The atmosphere certainly seemed a lot more relaxed than before, so I thought there wouldn't be any problems if I just quietly disappeared.
After much thought, I nodded shallowly and Kishian was the first to get up from his seat.
After that, he stood me up and faced me.
When the two of us, who were practically the main characters of the banquet, stood up, the people briefly showed regret, but when Kishian calmed them down with appropriate words, they did not hold back any longer.
They soon began to mingle among themselves, chattering loudly and their faces red from drunkenness.
Rodrick, who had been glancing at us since the beginning of the banquet, looked at us a little longer than the others this time but did not say anything.
So we left the noisy banquet hall and headed to the bedroom.
My heart pounded as I walked down the quiet, empty hallway.
Even though it was a hallway where I could normally walk comfortably, I felt this tension squeezing my insides.
It was likely because I knew what was about to happen once I reached the bedroom along this path.
So I walked down the hallway, up the stairs, and finally arrived at the bedroom.
He opened the door with a rather quick movement and pushed me in first.
After coming in and closing the door, he immediately put his lips on mine.
His soft, large lips swallowed mine.
As my body naturally pushed back due to his lips pressing down and crushing against mine, he supported the back of my head with one hand.
His tongue slid in a bit hastily and roughly, poking at my lips that I hadn't been able to open yet.
"Ha, uh..."
Taking advantage of the brief gap between us, he sucked in my lip again, almost as if he was trying to take a breath.
It was a persistent kiss that didn't even give me a moment to breathe.
My mind was gradually becoming hazy, so I held onto the back of his neck with both hands to keep from falling.
At first glance, his lips seemed to be curved in a curve.
As if it wasn't a mistake, there was a pleasant expression in Kishian's voice that was soon heard.
"Yeah, you better hold on tight and don't let go. So you don't fall."
Immediately afterward, he hugged me with both arms.
I held on tightly to the back of his neck to keep myself from falling, and he strode towards the bathroom in that state.
When Kishian entered the bathroom, he let me down and made me lean my back against the wall.
So we're getting our bodies mixed up again.
As I thought that and our lips met again, I felt large hands taking off my clothes one by one.
I waited for our lips to part for a moment, then asked in a slightly breathy voice.
"Here?"
"You don't like it? I was going to do it while washing."
"It's better to just wash up first and then go to bed and do the rest..."
"I'm in a hurry right now."
"I don't have the patience to go that far," Kishian whispered, nibbling my earlobe with his teeth.
At the same time, something that was already hot and hard was pressing down on me.
The body, which was so hot that it almost felt like it was about to burst, began to tremble slightly as if filled with anticipation just from the touch.
He was quietly looking down at me as I began to tremble, and then suddenly lowered his hand.
My pale chest was gently crushed in his grasp.
I didn't bother to hold back the groans that were leaking out through my teeth.
***
After wandering for almost an hour, Duke Herssen was able to find Letie.
He called out to Letie, wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he walked around the spacious mansion.
"Your Highness, you were here? I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared."
Letie, who had been sitting blankly on a chair in an empty room, staring out the window, finally turned her head toward the door where the Duke was standing.
Even though he looked tired from searching for her, she didn't show any particular reaction.
She just glanced absentmindedly for a moment and then turned her head back toward the window.
Feeling a little puzzled, the Duke opened his mouth again.
"Are you very drunk? Should I take you to your bedroom?"
"No, I wasn't that drunk. I was just thinking."
"Thoughts?"
Letie nodded, still looking out the window.
"I've never really been dissatisfied with my life. Even though I've had a heavier mission than others since I was a child I just accepted it. It's not like I can avoid it anyway, right?"
The Duke could quickly figure out what heavy mission Letie was talking about.
Although he thought it was a bit sudden, he agreed to the conversation for now.
"So you felt burdened?"
Letie was called the Savior because she was born with a pure white and beautiful mark.
The entire empire, including Letie's father, believed in Letie.
They had no doubt that she would save the empire from the suffering caused by the demons.
Because she was so full of everyone's attention and love, he thought she would never feel any emotion other than happiness.
Contrary to the Duke's thoughts.
Letie's back was covered with a deep gloom.
He approached Letie with cautious steps.
"So, are you here to calm your mind? Is it because the mission on your shoulders suddenly feels heavy?"
"No, it's not just because of that."
"Underneath?"
"I was always afraid and burdened, wondering if I could live up to people's expectations and be a savior. But..."
Letie suddenly got up from her seat and turned around to face the Duke.
The walls that had sparkled brightly during the day were now covered in the darkness of the night and were strangely sparkling.
"I'm sad today not because I feel burdened... but because I didn't get the reward I deserved."
Letie took a step towards the Duke.
For some reason, he felt like avoiding it, but he barely managed to stop himself so as not to seem rude.
Meanwhile, Letie, who had been approaching continuously, stopped just within reach of the Duke.
Then she revealed a long-standing question that she had always harbored inside her.
"Why is it that the 'best thing' never falls into my hands?"
"The best thing..?"
Letie nodded to the Duke of Herssen's question, which he did not understand.
"It's been like that since I was little. When I received two dolls as gifts, the prettier one went to my sister. Whether I received accessories or dresses as gifts, the lovelier and prettier ones always went to my sister. Not me, the savior."
"..."
"Isn't It unfair? I am the savior of the empire, and I am the one enduring this heavy mission, so why..."
After finishing speaking, Letie looked out the window for a moment and thought about it.
The shock she felt when she first saw Kishian, who had grown into a man that anyone would desire.
And the despair she felt the moment the man gave the flowers to her sister instead of her.
Of course, at first, Letie also prayed that her sister and the Grand Duke would fall in love. That way, her sister would be less distressed.
It was also true that she was worried that her sister would be hurt if she didn't receive Rissenblume in front of people.
But the moment the flower actually fell into her sister's hands, even Letie had no choice but to admit it.
Deep in the shadows of her heart, a desire for Kishian had been secretly blossoming.
"..."
The Duke, who had been listening to the story in silence, took a step back without realizing it.
For some reason, it felt like he was hearing something he shouldn't have heard.
It felt like he was looking into the ugly insides of a being that was endlessly praised and loved.
"I don't want to give in anymore. I have sacrificed more than anyone else, so I should get better than anyone else. Isn't that right?"
"..."
"I think I have to get it back. It's what I should have had originally."
There was no need to ask who would get what back and from whom.
The Duke of Herssen understood Letie's words well enough.
The cruel words that would come out of those beautiful lips were also quite predictable.
"So, Duke, I've been thinking about this deeply for quite some time now, and I've come to this conclusion. I think it would be best for us to stop here."
"..."
"I hope you meet someone better than me."
Even though his lover unilaterally informed him of the breakup, the Duke did not hold on or cling to her.
He couldn't be sure if the woman he saw in front of him was the woman he loved.
Is that really the woman I loved so much?
So he said nothing in response.
He just turned around and started walking hurriedly as if he was running away.
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