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At Yevgenia's sincere(?) plea, Yulan, who had momentarily fallen silent, soon wiped all expression from her face.
After lightly removing her hand, the way he walked from behind her back to the front seat gave the impression of someone in a position not easily approached.
The posture that had seemed like the personification of "nonchalance" had now transformed into that of a high-handed "superior."
With his hands clasped over his crossed knees, he looked down at Yevgenia clearly.
His attitude was akin to that of a royal family member hearing petitions from nobles.
"Well, Duchess. Are you confident you won't regret it?"
Though the words were just as halved as before, the voice now carried weight.
Yevgenia swallowed dryly and slightly lifted her chin.
At least here, showing a dignified appearance would likely work well.
"Even if I do, that's a problem for me to bear. You erase the name, and I... will wish for their happiness. That's how it must end."
Yulan's narrowed eyes lightly scanned her.
With his chin tilted askew, he asked with a cold smile.
"Such love that you'd give your body to a man you've just met for your fiancé's sake. It brings tears to my eyes. Prince Larsen should appreciate such feelings, shouldn't he?"
So, even if he was slightly swayed, he still couldn't bring himself to trust her completely.
His smugly smiling face, as if deliberately trying to provoke Yevgenia's temper, was quite infuriating.
Suppressing the anger rising within her, she spoke.
"...I thought you were just trying to anger me so I'd leave by making such a baseless demand for my body. I never imagined you'd actually want something like my body."
Feigning pitifulness, Yevgenia covered her mouth with her hand, her pupils blatantly looking down and then back up.
The bright yellow pupils were soon hidden behind her beautifully curved eyes.
"How did the Empire's Second Prince become so starved for women? It really brings tears to my eyes, doesn't it?"
The room fell silent in an instant, with only their shallow breaths audible.
As they stared directly into each other's eyes without avoidance, as if about to spark a fire.
Yulan lightly shrugged his shoulders and raised his hand first.
"I admit, I was short-sighted on that point. I acknowledge it."
The taut tension was released in an instant.
Perhaps because they thought they had seen each other's true depths, the atmosphere became considerably lighter.
Clicking her tongue softly, Yevgenia put down her pitifully posed hand and spoke askew.
"Good that you know. So, is there really no other way?"
She had held onto the hope that it wasn't true, or more precisely, that she wished it wasn't.
No matter how false an identity he was using, someone who had lived as a prince couldn't easily speak of relations with a high-ranking noble, could he?
When no answer came to her casually thrown question, a chilling sense of foreboding ran down her spine.
"...Don't tell me it's really true?"
"For now."
Shaking his head slightly as he looked at Yevgenia, who couldn't hide her shock, Yulan began to explain.
"Since you know my true identity and abilities, you must also know why 'names' are so important in the Empire?"
It was something her father had mentioned before.
When she nodded briefly, the explanation quickly moved on.
"Then you must also know why I live in hiding."
"...Because of your ability? Since revealing such an ability would bring no good..."
For a moment, Yulan's eyebrow twitched slightly, but it returned to place before she could notice.
"Well, that's part of the reason too."
"...?"
"Since it's an ability I can't possibly be proud of, I've experimented with it in various ways behind the scenes... First, finding 'name' bearers was difficult, and experimenting on them in various ways was also challenging."
Hearing the word "experiment," her face involuntarily contorted.
Because she remembered how the original "Yevgenia Martir" had ended.
Regardless of how he interpreted her reaction, Yulan continued his explanation nonchalantly.
"And there's exactly one method I haven't experimented with yet."
"...Don't tell me that's it?"
With one corner of his mouth twisted up, Yulan crossed his arms and leaned back against the chair.
The words he uttered with endlessly arrogant demeanor were truly that of "royalty" itself.
In other words,
"Since I'm of rather precious status, I can't just fool around with anyone."
It meant it was terribly unfortunate.
When she shot him a blatantly accusatory look, he soon let out a small laugh.
"Just kidding, kidding."
"..."
"Everyone refused, saying they didn't want to betray their loved ones. I can't understand why they believe fate, love, or such abstract things will last forever."
His tone suggested he couldn't believe in their feelings, that is, "love," at all.
It was as if he had only learned about love theoretically.
'No, is now the time to be concerned about scandals involving direct royal family members? The only way to erase the name is through that act!'
To clear her complicated thoughts, Yevgenia lightly tousled her hair and asked awkwardly.
"Can't it be done with the methods you've experimented with so far, instead of that method?"
"Hmm. I don't mind, but the Duchess might mind quite a bit."
"...Why?"
Straightening his posture and leaning his upper body forward, Yulan whispered.
"They said it was really, terribly, extremely, mortally, horribly, painfully excruciating."
Though his tone was light as if teasing, Yevgenia knew better than anyone that it wasn't a false statement.
Even after trying various methods, emphasizing it to that extent meant that the pain wasn't alleviated at all by ordinary means.
Groaning, she pondered for a while before cautiously asking.
"...What's the basis for saying this method won't be painful?"
"An informant's anecdotal experience that extreme pleasure can overcome pain?"
"Sigh..."
Should she really bet everything on this man?
What if, even after doing that, the name remains...
'Wow, my vision is really going dark.'
As long as Yevgenia is the heir to the ducal house, a single act of indiscretion shouldn't be a problem.
The issue is that the method to erase the name without pain would be lost forever?
'And that my future becomes fixed with marriage to Raymond? Hahaha...'
Closing her eyes tightly, Yevgenia spoke in a voice that trailed off.
"First, first, how about trying that 'really, terribly, extremely, mortally, horribly painful' method once, and then trying that method?"
"There are more people like the Duchess in the world than one might think. People who need to bite gold or copper to know."
"...So what?"
When she asked, half-gritting her teeth, only then did a proper answer come from Yulan.
"I don't mind. As long as the Duchess promises not to try to kill me if it's too painful."
"Fine, I promise. Hurry up."
After answering indifferently, she subtly pushed her collarbone toward him.
A laugh that sounded incredulous was heard, but she didn't care.
As if urging him to hurry, she pushed her body forward firmly, and cold fingertips touched her collarbone.
"Ugh..."
"Don't tell me it already hurts?"
"No. Just hurry up."
"The Duchess's face makes nagging sound quite charming."
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!"
It was frustrating to see him only move after she finally shouted.
The thumb slowly sweeping over her collarbone soon pressed firmly on the first letter of the 'name,' near the beginning of the collarbone.
At first, it was clearly a light pressure pain, but gradually, flames began to bloom from that spot.
Small sparks slowly grew in size, from match flames to bonfires, and then to fires large enough to burn down an entire house.
"Ugh, ah, agh..."
It felt as if the blood flowing beneath her skin had turned into lava.
Even though he was only lightly pressing her collarbone, her entire body curled up on its own, protesting the pain.
Only when her forehead was soaked with cold sweat did Yulan's hand withdraw.
"Gasp, pant, gasp... This, this insane, this goddamn insane..."
"See. I told you it was really, terribly, extremely, mortally, horribly painful."
It was hard to breathe properly.
Still struggling to compose herself amidst the pain swirling inside her, Yevgenia panted and rubbed the area around her collarbone.
She thought that since it was this painful, at least one letter must have been erased.
If even one letter was erased, there would be endless excuses to make from that.
Watching Yevgenia desperately caressing her name, Yulan spoke in an affected voice.
"What to do, Duchess? Unfortunately, the name was only half-erased."
"...What?"
"Ah, sorry. Looking closely, it seems about a quarter was erased. Practically, it looks almost the same."
Seeing his face openly chuckling, he must have clearly anticipated this outcome.
It was a personality that naturally made one's teeth grind.
Taking a deep breath in and out, Yevgenia's voice had now sunk low.
"You, how good are you?"
"It depends on the benchmark."
"Really, too, amazingly good enough to overcome the pain?"
Her voice now sounded almost like a threat.
The sound of teeth grinding punctuated every word.
With both corners of his mouth pulled into a smile, Yulan answered.
"Really, too, amazingly, good enough to make you yearn for nights with me every day."
After lightly removing her hand, the way he walked from behind her back to the front seat gave the impression of someone in a position not easily approached.
The posture that had seemed like the personification of "nonchalance" had now transformed into that of a high-handed "superior."
With his hands clasped over his crossed knees, he looked down at Yevgenia clearly.
His attitude was akin to that of a royal family member hearing petitions from nobles.
"Well, Duchess. Are you confident you won't regret it?"
Though the words were just as halved as before, the voice now carried weight.
Yevgenia swallowed dryly and slightly lifted her chin.
At least here, showing a dignified appearance would likely work well.
"Even if I do, that's a problem for me to bear. You erase the name, and I... will wish for their happiness. That's how it must end."
Yulan's narrowed eyes lightly scanned her.
With his chin tilted askew, he asked with a cold smile.
"Such love that you'd give your body to a man you've just met for your fiancé's sake. It brings tears to my eyes. Prince Larsen should appreciate such feelings, shouldn't he?"
So, even if he was slightly swayed, he still couldn't bring himself to trust her completely.
His smugly smiling face, as if deliberately trying to provoke Yevgenia's temper, was quite infuriating.
Suppressing the anger rising within her, she spoke.
"...I thought you were just trying to anger me so I'd leave by making such a baseless demand for my body. I never imagined you'd actually want something like my body."
Feigning pitifulness, Yevgenia covered her mouth with her hand, her pupils blatantly looking down and then back up.
The bright yellow pupils were soon hidden behind her beautifully curved eyes.
"How did the Empire's Second Prince become so starved for women? It really brings tears to my eyes, doesn't it?"
The room fell silent in an instant, with only their shallow breaths audible.
As they stared directly into each other's eyes without avoidance, as if about to spark a fire.
Yulan lightly shrugged his shoulders and raised his hand first.
"I admit, I was short-sighted on that point. I acknowledge it."
The taut tension was released in an instant.
Perhaps because they thought they had seen each other's true depths, the atmosphere became considerably lighter.
Clicking her tongue softly, Yevgenia put down her pitifully posed hand and spoke askew.
"Good that you know. So, is there really no other way?"
She had held onto the hope that it wasn't true, or more precisely, that she wished it wasn't.
No matter how false an identity he was using, someone who had lived as a prince couldn't easily speak of relations with a high-ranking noble, could he?
When no answer came to her casually thrown question, a chilling sense of foreboding ran down her spine.
"...Don't tell me it's really true?"
"For now."
Shaking his head slightly as he looked at Yevgenia, who couldn't hide her shock, Yulan began to explain.
"Since you know my true identity and abilities, you must also know why 'names' are so important in the Empire?"
It was something her father had mentioned before.
When she nodded briefly, the explanation quickly moved on.
"Then you must also know why I live in hiding."
"...Because of your ability? Since revealing such an ability would bring no good..."
For a moment, Yulan's eyebrow twitched slightly, but it returned to place before she could notice.
"Well, that's part of the reason too."
"...?"
"Since it's an ability I can't possibly be proud of, I've experimented with it in various ways behind the scenes... First, finding 'name' bearers was difficult, and experimenting on them in various ways was also challenging."
Hearing the word "experiment," her face involuntarily contorted.
Because she remembered how the original "Yevgenia Martir" had ended.
Regardless of how he interpreted her reaction, Yulan continued his explanation nonchalantly.
"And there's exactly one method I haven't experimented with yet."
"...Don't tell me that's it?"
With one corner of his mouth twisted up, Yulan crossed his arms and leaned back against the chair.
The words he uttered with endlessly arrogant demeanor were truly that of "royalty" itself.
In other words,
"Since I'm of rather precious status, I can't just fool around with anyone."
It meant it was terribly unfortunate.
When she shot him a blatantly accusatory look, he soon let out a small laugh.
"Just kidding, kidding."
"..."
"Everyone refused, saying they didn't want to betray their loved ones. I can't understand why they believe fate, love, or such abstract things will last forever."
His tone suggested he couldn't believe in their feelings, that is, "love," at all.
It was as if he had only learned about love theoretically.
'No, is now the time to be concerned about scandals involving direct royal family members? The only way to erase the name is through that act!'
To clear her complicated thoughts, Yevgenia lightly tousled her hair and asked awkwardly.
"Can't it be done with the methods you've experimented with so far, instead of that method?"
"Hmm. I don't mind, but the Duchess might mind quite a bit."
"...Why?"
Straightening his posture and leaning his upper body forward, Yulan whispered.
"They said it was really, terribly, extremely, mortally, horribly, painfully excruciating."
Though his tone was light as if teasing, Yevgenia knew better than anyone that it wasn't a false statement.
Even after trying various methods, emphasizing it to that extent meant that the pain wasn't alleviated at all by ordinary means.
Groaning, she pondered for a while before cautiously asking.
"...What's the basis for saying this method won't be painful?"
"An informant's anecdotal experience that extreme pleasure can overcome pain?"
"Sigh..."
Should she really bet everything on this man?
What if, even after doing that, the name remains...
'Wow, my vision is really going dark.'
As long as Yevgenia is the heir to the ducal house, a single act of indiscretion shouldn't be a problem.
The issue is that the method to erase the name without pain would be lost forever?
'And that my future becomes fixed with marriage to Raymond? Hahaha...'
Closing her eyes tightly, Yevgenia spoke in a voice that trailed off.
"First, first, how about trying that 'really, terribly, extremely, mortally, horribly painful' method once, and then trying that method?"
"There are more people like the Duchess in the world than one might think. People who need to bite gold or copper to know."
"...So what?"
When she asked, half-gritting her teeth, only then did a proper answer come from Yulan.
"I don't mind. As long as the Duchess promises not to try to kill me if it's too painful."
"Fine, I promise. Hurry up."
After answering indifferently, she subtly pushed her collarbone toward him.
A laugh that sounded incredulous was heard, but she didn't care.
As if urging him to hurry, she pushed her body forward firmly, and cold fingertips touched her collarbone.
"Ugh..."
"Don't tell me it already hurts?"
"No. Just hurry up."
"The Duchess's face makes nagging sound quite charming."
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!"
It was frustrating to see him only move after she finally shouted.
The thumb slowly sweeping over her collarbone soon pressed firmly on the first letter of the 'name,' near the beginning of the collarbone.
At first, it was clearly a light pressure pain, but gradually, flames began to bloom from that spot.
Small sparks slowly grew in size, from match flames to bonfires, and then to fires large enough to burn down an entire house.
"Ugh, ah, agh..."
It felt as if the blood flowing beneath her skin had turned into lava.
Even though he was only lightly pressing her collarbone, her entire body curled up on its own, protesting the pain.
Only when her forehead was soaked with cold sweat did Yulan's hand withdraw.
"Gasp, pant, gasp... This, this insane, this goddamn insane..."
"See. I told you it was really, terribly, extremely, mortally, horribly painful."
It was hard to breathe properly.
Still struggling to compose herself amidst the pain swirling inside her, Yevgenia panted and rubbed the area around her collarbone.
She thought that since it was this painful, at least one letter must have been erased.
If even one letter was erased, there would be endless excuses to make from that.
Watching Yevgenia desperately caressing her name, Yulan spoke in an affected voice.
"What to do, Duchess? Unfortunately, the name was only half-erased."
"...What?"
"Ah, sorry. Looking closely, it seems about a quarter was erased. Practically, it looks almost the same."
Seeing his face openly chuckling, he must have clearly anticipated this outcome.
It was a personality that naturally made one's teeth grind.
Taking a deep breath in and out, Yevgenia's voice had now sunk low.
"You, how good are you?"
"It depends on the benchmark."
"Really, too, amazingly good enough to overcome the pain?"
Her voice now sounded almost like a threat.
The sound of teeth grinding punctuated every word.
With both corners of his mouth pulled into a smile, Yulan answered.
"Really, too, amazingly, good enough to make you yearn for nights with me every day."
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