Eliana was struck dumb with surprise. While languidly resting her hand behind her, she glared at Tristan, who was sitting askew on the bed, and pulled away the blanket. Eliana got off the bed and angrily stomped her feet towards the door. There were plenty of rooms in the palace, so she planned to go to another room. She didn’t even want to see his face.

“Where are you going? This conversation isn’t over.”

“There’s nothing to talk about! Get married, have a child, receive the title of Duke! And then, after that, you leave, right now!”

“No?”

Eliana looked at Tristan as if she couldn’t believe it. Was it really like this? Was Eliana nothing to Tristan to this extent? Like this, she’s just a joke. Could her life be considered insignificant?

“I will tell His Majesty everything. That Prince Tristan has been indulging in drugs. That he’s on drugs and talking bullshit!”

Tristan slowly stood up, looking at Eliana with calm eyes that drowned her anger.

“Not even a witch’s potion, just drugs? Even if His Majesty knew, he wouldn’t do anything to me. I’m his beloved son, after all.”

Eliana raised her shoulders confidently, and Tristan approached her with his hands resting on her shoulders. Eliana flung Tristan’s hand away.

“Don’t touch me!”

But Tristan’s hand, which had fallen, firmly grabbed Eliana’s shoulders. This time, he held her tightly, squeezing so hard that she couldn’t resist.

“Aah!”

“If you bear a child, I will let you leave with that child. Since I just need to consider it my child, anyway, there’s no need to make it my successor. How about that? Isn’t it a good offer? You can proudly go to Yust as a Duchess, with a generous alimony, and live well while raising the child.”

I wish it was a dream. This is reality. What the hell. Tristan doesn’t know how he’s beem cruel to Eliana. Her chest has been torn into a patchwork of rags, to the point where she can’t bear it any longer. Eliana’s face was filled with pain.

“I dreamed of a happy married life with the prince. So I did my best. I didn’t even care about you meeting Mirabella. It’s common for nobles to have concubines. But this is really hard to endure.”

“…..”

“I know…. I mean, I can understand if he doesn’t like me, but… using your child… as a tool… and then throwing your child away?”

“…..”

“Do you remember what you said to His Majesty? The one about me being my father’s tool. But, Your Highness, you’re not much different from His Majesty. No, you’re even worse. At least His Majesty loves you.”

Tristan’s eyes widened, and veins stood out. Eliana’s audacious words struck a sensitive nerve. Grasping her shoulders with trembling hands, Tristan tightened his grip around Eliana’s neck. Huhmm! Her breath was momentarily cut off, and her head lifted, but Eliana didn’t yield and stared back at Tristan.

“Have you finished talking?”

Eliana, whose breath was getting heavier, struggled to break free from his grip. She slapped Tristan’s shoulder and kicked his shin, but his solid body remained unyielding.

“This… Let go! Damn it!”

Tristan retaliated with a backhand blow as Eliana weakly managed to voice her plea.

“Urgh! Ugh! Gasp!”

Thrown back heavily, Eliana gasped for breath. Her nightgown was disheveled, and her long brown hair scattered. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead, mingling with stray strands of hair, while tears moistened her eyes as she looked up at Tristan, resentment filling her gaze. She felt regret surged fiercely for harboring such a man in her heart.

“I’m different from my father. At least I’ll protect my son when he’s on the brink of death. So, Eliana, take those words back right away.”

“I can’t! You said it yourself, you can’t fix a person. That statement was true. Our beloved prince will never change. You’ll live as a piece of trash forever!”

Tristan’s eyes widened as he approached Eliana with a terrifying aura.

“Eliana, don’t you think I’ve done a lot for you all this time?”

Tristan’s eyes glowed as he descended upon the fallen Eliana. His gaze was no longer distant. Eliana was finally struck by fear.

“What… what are you doing! Huh!”

Eliana was pinned beneath Tristan, who climbed on top of her and showered her with kisses. Her wrists were pinned down, unable to resist, completely immobilized. Trying to push away his invading tongue with her own, she futilely struggled as she was irresistibly drawn into the slippery, soft sensation. Unable to push away Tristan’s tongue, which swirled and twirled like a whirlpool, she stopped resisting. Tristan’s lips parted as Eliana’s head turned in sync with his movements.

“You called me trash, right? I’ll make you realize who I am, what I’ve endured. I’ll make you realize it very vividly.”

“….”

In an instant, the atmosphere changed with a single kiss between Tristan and Eliana. His speech was not slurred from the effects of drugs, and his dilated pupils were clear. His shining eyes looked straight at Eliana.

“Hmph!”

Tristan sank his teeth into Eliana’s shoulder. It was followed by an act that she couldn’t tell if it was a bite or a kiss. Eliana twisted her body slightly in pain and with a subtle sense of unease. The sensation was too unfamiliar and frightening.

“Ah! What are you doing…!”

“If you don’t want to get married, then I have no choice but to make you marry me. I must receive the title of Duke no matter what.”

Innocent Eliana, who barely knew what Tristan was doing at the moment, had little knowledge about him. How polite Tristan had been all this time and how he had made efforts not to interfere with her life. She hadn’t touched him because she didn’t want to be involved, but if she were to become entangled with him, who knows how irritating it would be.

“Your Highness! Stop it!”

She desperately shouted at Tristan, who was hastily undressing her.

“I don’t like this! You just slept with Mirabella!”

“….”

“You were with Mirabella… That woman…. Huhu….”

Tristan tilted his head as if he heard something strange.

“So? What’s the problem with that?”

Eliana’s restrained tears burst out at his words. Now she really wanted it all to end.

“If you touch me… I’ll kill myself. I’ll die.”

Tristan’s face contorted, shocked, he slowly withdrew. When Tristan stepped back, Eliana quickly turned her body towards the direction of the bed. Then, without hesitation, she rang the bell. Please, Sienna, come quickly.

“Leave right now.”

Tristan regained his composure at Eliana’s words and slowly stood up. He promptly straightened his disheveled clothes. The hand that fixed the clothes was trembling slightly.

“Take your words back about dying.”

She stared blankly at Tristan’s bewildering words. It took time for them to understand what he meant.

“I have never wished for you to die.”

“…..”

“Wherever it may be, I have wished for you to live happily,.”

“…..”

Eliana, who was gasping for breath and clinging tightly to the wall, gradually regained her composure. But her mind was in turmoil. Why would he say such things. Right now. To the person he was trying to rape.

“If you want me to be happy, please protect my dignity until the end. It’s my final request.”

Sienna, who entered the bedroom at that moment, was startled when she saw Tristan.

“Your Highness!”

Then she quickly ran to Eliana, checking if she was alright.

“Miss Eliana! Are you okay?”

Sienna looked at Tristan with a cautious gaze, as if suspecting that he had caused some trouble.

“Don’t worry. I’m leaving.”

Eliana was avoiding Tristan’s gaze.

“I’ll protect your dignity. I promise. But you will marry me. Without fail.”

Having said that, Tristan left the Princess’s Palace.

Feeling her strength drained away, Eliana staggered and leaned on Sienna as they made their way to bed. Whenever he came and caused a commotion in the early morning, Eliana would lie down in bed, suffering for an entire day.

“I just can’t take it anymore. The Prince must be banned. I’ll inform His Majesty when daylight comes. If this continues, Miss Eliana will wither away and die. Sniff.”

The pitiful Sienna shed tears.

“It’s okay, Sienna. I’m okay. Just a bit tired. Never let His Majesty know. It will only trouble the Prince. Okay?”

“Eliana… sniff.”

Eliana closed her eyes, swiftly falling asleep as if wanting to forget everything, escaping from reality.