With a sour look at Christine's a.s.surance, Francis plucked his feet and said, "Why don't you just kill the sick b.i.t.c.h anyway and marry me? The prophecy is that those who have the highest status among the Princes who have the right to inherit the throne will be Emperor, and that will be accomplished if Princess Kiellini disappears. She's a sick woman anyway, so even if she dies overnight, who would suspect? After the princess dies, you will be the highest-ranking lady of Austern's unmarried ladies, and I will be the Emperor without trouble, as expected."

Francis added after looking through Christine who was seated modestly, from head to toe. "I enjoyed the blonde girl you sent me to sample for a while, but I like you a lot more than the lifeless bunch of yellow fur. Or how about this one? If you really don't like marrying me, I think it's okay to let me taste you until you take care of Princess Kiellini in front of me."

Christine almost had the dry heaves at Francis's words. She managed to calm herself down and barely opened her mouth. "You made a promise, didn't you? I will do my best to offer Princess Kiellini to Your Highness. Please trust me and wait."

Francis's expression remained unchanged, even though Christine was almost pleading. Francis was looking at Christine despicably, and finally rose from his seat and approached her.

Francis held up her head in his hand, and she sat stiffly without looking at him in front of her, as he faced her for a while. Then he licked Christine's eyes with his tongue and went straight down her cheek. As he pa.s.sed her neck, he bit the fringe of her chest.

So far, he had been hovering around showing his felinity, but he had never touched her like he did now, so she was stiff and s.h.i.+vering. She couldn't figure out why he was going across the line, so she managed to ask. "Your Highness, why are you doing this all of a sudden?"

"Why? Why? That's funny." Francis whispered in Christine's ear. "The present you sent me this time, I received it well. I was so happy that you finally recognized my hobby after you became an adult. Now I'm wondering if it's okay for you to join me in my fun."

Francis bowed deeply beside Christine's face, and whispered in her ear. "Or do you want to have a party here? I think that'll be fine, too."

They were in a large parlor in the Prince's palace. Looking down at the surprised Christine, Francis raised his hand and ordered everyone to step out. Even so, it was merely the knights and the attendants retreating behind one wall.

Christine had no choice but to endure, because she knew Francis's cruelty and perverse personality well. She was afraid of how Francis would act if she put up even a slight resistance.

The Duke of Dudley, his maternal grandfather, would not care a bit if he were to rape her here. On the contrary, he was sure to reproach her in fear if any bad news of Francis spread. Her aunt, the first Queen, and her mother would rather blame her. Knowing that, she couldn't resist Francis' actions.

Francis teased her for a while, but then jumped up. "If there's no significant progress in the near future, I'll continue the rest at the place where I'll be facing you, regardless of the time and place. So hurry up and show the results in front of me."

Francis gazed satisfactorily at Christine, who was covered with his own saliva, and gestured for her to go.

In order to escape from the whims of the Prince, she fled from the drawing-room without putting herself into proper order. Christine was in a hurry to leave the Imperial Palace and waited for the carriage, but looked back at herself, catching the eyes of the people around her.

"Penny, what am I like now?"

Penny was standing next to her hesitated, and could not speak. When the family carriage of Anais arrived and she got on board, Christine took a mirror from Penny, who was unable to even look at her properly.

"Miss..."

Christine, shaking her hands at her reflection in the mirror, threw it away the mirror as she came to her senses at Penny's call. Penny managed to avoid the flying mirror and looked at Christine with a frightened expression.

"Today's events will spread to the capital soon. I'm sure it'll be in the ear of Killian His Highness."

Christine ordered Penny, who was carefully picking up the cracked mirror to clean her hair. While Penny was carefully grooming her hair with trembling hands, Christine spoke quietly, "Turn the wagon to the mansion of Duke Kiellini. I have to make a decision today."

The back of the carriage leaving Francis's palace looked very dreary, as if it were a reflection of Christine's mood.

------------------

"The princess is not accepting any visit at the moment. I'm sorry, but please go back."

"I'm the cousin of the princess. What's the occasion for you to kick me out of the door like this, when I have been worried about her and came to visit a sick person?"

The butler looked embarra.s.sed by Christine's protests. He was ordered not to receive any visitors, but she was also a cousin of the princess and Duke Dudley's only granddaughter. After a moment of hesitation, he finally stepped aside to allow Christine to come in. "Forgive me, Lady Anais. Please come in and wait a moment, and I'll check again."