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Chapter 24
I Already Marked You as Mine
2022.02.22
Bang! Boom! Fireworks exploded in the sky above the imperial palace. Against the dark night sky, colorful sparks began to paint a brilliant tapestry. A sharp sting and a strange warmth spread from my collarbone outward. My heightened senses made me aware of many things—the humid summer heat, Johann’s heavy scent, and the clamor of the banquet all mixing together. His hands, precious yet rough as they brushed over me, and his sweet breath, as if trying to soothe my pain, created a heady atmosphere. As if sensing my excitement, Johann pressed his lips to the mark he had left on me.
“I can’t stay here any longer.”
When Johann moved his face away, the red mark on my collarbone stood out clearly. My dress exposed my shoulders and collarbone. If I were to appear like this in front of others, everyone would immediately notice what had happened between us.
“I already marked you as mine, too.”
Johann caressed the mark he had left with his thumb, as if approving of it.
“No other bastard will come near you again.”
Unknowingly, my eyes reddened, and I stared blankly at Johann.
“…Damn.”
Then, as if he couldn’t resist, he kissed the bridge of my nose.
“If it were up to me, I’d devour you right here.”
His low voice rumbled with a quiet excitement.
“I’d tear out the eyes of those bastards who looked at you so disgustingly.”
“…”
“And I’d sever the limbs of any bastard who dared touch you.”
I could believe Johann would actually do it.
‘Thinking about the Anton incident…’
Johann’s red eyes glowed fiercely. Perhaps what I saw was him holding back. But maybe not at all.
‘But Anton and the Crown Prince are not in the same league.’
Johann, Duke Blanchet, would gain nothing by clashing with the Crown Prince, heir to the throne. Whatever had happened with the Crown Prince wasn’t a lie meant to deceive me. The Crown Prince was no one’s puppet.
‘Yet he protects me and feels jealous, even though I’m just a fake wife…’
Johann caught his breath and asked,
“Tell me exactly what that damned Crown Prince said to you. Don’t tell me it’s nothing, like you just did.”
From the start, Johann left no room for me to escape. Perhaps he remembered how I had hidden things from Erich.
“The Crown Prince… told me I should be his companion for the night.”
Johann clenched his jaw so tightly it seemed to crack. The corner of his smiling mouth trembled slightly.
“…And then?”
“And he said if I pleased him, he’d make me his concubine.”
Johann’s face became expressionless, as if frozen.
“Hah.”
The stiff expression broke into a bitter laugh.
“I shouldn’t have left that bastard alone.”
Johann was… really angry. To calm him slightly, I added in a calm voice,
“I was going to refuse, saying I already have a husband…”
“You did well, my wife.”
Johann smiled, clearly satisfied, with a teasing glint in his eyes.
“But I regret not being able to snap that bastard’s limbs off.”
The fireworks in the sky gradually faded. Soon, the palace banquet hall was filled with golden bursts of light. With the lights behind him, Johann radiated a dangerously decadent aura. The corners of his mouth revealed raw emotion, untamed madness barely controlled. I briefly imagined how dazzling, magnificent, and beautiful he must have looked in the glittering light of the palace.
“It’s a shame.”
Surely, Johann captivated the hearts of not just me, but every woman present.
“I wanted to try dancing at the ball.”
“…Do you want to go in now?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Today, Johann’s anger seemed like it could spiral out of control, but because it wasn’t directed at me, I felt no fear.
“Seeing the night sky with you like this is enough.”
Perhaps it was the first time I had seen fireworks at night—it was stunning.
“Even if I were to die immediately, I wouldn’t forget today. But that doesn’t mean I want to keep attending parties. No more balls for me.”
Crown Prince Carlos indulged in parties and pleasures, avoiding his responsibilities. Any party could be risky with him there.
‘Better to skip it unless absolutely necessary.’
Johann’s red eyes trembled faintly.
“Why?”
“Why would I repeat an experience I’ve already had? Besides, now I know the downside.”
“…What’s the point of it being a waste of time? You’d be with me.”
Taken aback by his unexpected response, I blinked before finding the right words.
“Still, Duke, you’re busy. Doing things together might be less tedious for you too.”
“Don’t think about me. Only think about what you want. You worry too much about me. It’s not unpleasant as a husband, but—”
Johann gently stroked my head, like handling something precious.
“When you do that too much, I sometimes feel hurt that you forget I’m here.”
“What part exactly?”
Afraid I had accidentally angered him, I flinched. Johann’s lazy yet arrogant smile appeared.
“That my wife’s husband is already quite accomplished.”
Crown Prince’s Palace
Crown Prince Carlos didn’t regain composure until noon. Last night’s events came vividly to mind, filling him with anger. The woman he had coveted—Estelle.
‘How dare she ignore me like that?’
Even in front of the Crown Prince himself, she had sought her husband.
‘She doesn’t even realize how precious a chance this was.’
Rumors circulated in the social circle that Johann had not registered the marriage to toy with Estelle and abandon her later. The Crown Prince confirmed at the palace—they had not yet married. Estelle still belonged to Libertan. So, the Crown Prince went to the Emperor to report the Duke’s impudence.
“Father, I must speak. Last night—”
“Carlos.”
The Emperor cut him off with a neutral expression.
“Did you provoke Duke Blanchet at the ball?”
Carlos frowned.
“Has Duke Blanchet already come to speak to you, Father? Actually—”
“You have no excuse. It’s your fault.”
The Emperor didn’t even hear Carlos out.
“Spend a few months in self-reflection. Duke Blanchet will forgive you eventually.”
“Father!”
Carlos raised his voice angrily.
“Why won’t you even listen to me? The Duke was the first to be rude, and besides, he isn’t truly married to that woman!”
“The Duke submitted a formal marriage registration with the temple seal and imperial approval. She is now officially the Duchess Blanchet.”
“What?”
Shocked, Carlos froze.
“He officially married Estelle?”
“Yes! Do you understand the gravity of your actions now?”
“B-But…”
Indeed, if Estelle became the official Duchess Blanchet, Carlos was in the wrong. But he refused to acknowledge it.
“The Blanchet family only regained favor with the empire recently. They aren’t that important now.”
Even if Duke Blanchet was an impressive man, he didn’t compare to the Crown Prince. Carlos’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Even if the Blanchets are remarkable, I am the Crown Prince! I must consider imperial dignity—”
“You still haven’t grasped the situation. How dare you spout such nonsense? Can you still call yourself the heir?”
The Emperor frowned and slapped Carlos’s cheek.
“The Blanchet family is not someone to be dismissed lightly.”
For the first time, the Crown Prince was struck by his father. Shocked, he touched his cheek and asked,
“So the royal family must bow to them?”
“I don’t want to hear any more of your words. Leave.”
Carlos reluctantly left the audience chamber. The Emperor sighed deeply, displeased with his son’s disregard for duty.
The Knight Liandro
A knight with neat silver hair, clear blue eyes, and ascetic features in armor saluted the Emperor.
“Your loyal servant, Liandro Felsis, at your service, Your Majesty.”
“…Did you witness the Crown Prince’s disgrace?”
“I did not attend the ball, so I did not see it.”
The Emperor sighed again.
“Why all this chaos over an orphan from Libertan?”
Estelle, though beautiful, was an ordinary girl. That the Crown Prince had lost face over her angered the Emperor. After a pause, he asked Liandro,
“You were involved with that orphan too?”
“…Yes. We were once engaged, then broken off.”
“For what reason?”
Liandro’s otherwise expressionless face faltered slightly.
“Originally, I was engaged to Estella Libertan, the Duke of Libertan’s legitimate daughter. It was a family arrangement, nothing more. Since the match changed, the engagement was broken off. No other reason.”
“I see.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue.
“The reason I called you, commander of the Imperial Knights, is the upcoming summer banquet. Now that the Crown Prince is under discipline, the schedule of the knights must be adjusted.”
The Emperor explained Liandro’s duties, but Liandro hardly heard him.
‘Estelle.’
The woman he had discarded, believing her foolish and malicious. Using the position of the dead to gain advantage proved her reputation as a villainess. Yet Liandro, a noble knight, could not wish her death.
‘Even if she is a villain…’
Being caught in Duke Blanchet’s revenge and dying cruelly would be unjust.
‘Perhaps it’s also my responsibility.’
Had he not broken the engagement, Estelle would already be unrelated to Libertan.
‘To fulfill my duty as a knight, I must save her.’
Liandro’s gaze out the window was heavy with concern.
The Day After the Masquerade
Johann arrived with an unusual gift, another luxurious box like the one he had given for the bracelet.
“…What is this?”
Inside was an anklet, decorated with a pure ruby, as red as Johann’s eyes.
‘Not an ordinary gift.’
I still wore the bracelet on my wrist.
“I just got this bracelet recently.”
“I like giving things to you. Specifically…”
His eyes, brighter than the ruby, gazed at me mischievously.
“I want to fill you with me.”
A tingling sensation near my collarbone, like at the masquerade, flared again. Blushing, I whispered, “Thank you.” The anklet fit my ankle perfectly—light and unnoticeable. I looked at Johann again, conscious of his gaze on my ankle.
‘It’s just my ankle.’
As I tried to cover it, Johann reached toward my ankle. The moment his elegant finger touched the ruby, sparks flew lightly.
“Duke?”
Johann frowned, lips bitten. Uncharacteristically shocked, he stared at me.
“Is something wrong?”
“You…”
Johann murmured softly, eyes lowered. I quickly hid my ankle.
“I’ll wear it well.”
“But do you know what this anklet means?”
His expression returned to relaxed, questioning.
“Does an anklet even have a meaning?”
I only knew gemstone symbolism, puzzled.
“You really don’t know.”
Johann’s smile deepened.
“What a shame.”
“I’m sure you didn’t give me a gift with a strange meaning, Duke.”
“Are you sure?”
Johann’s teasing smile brought his face close.
“I have rather… unusual thoughts about you.”
“…Excuse me?”
His thumb brushed my lips as he murmured,
“I’ll have to teach you everything on our wedding night.”
The “wedding night”—something unspoken until now between us.
