Power sometimes equates violence.

“I’m about to take you to hidden passage only known to the royal family. Therefore, I’ll need to have you leave your attendant behind.”

As expected, when Prince Redmond showed him the royal insignia, Silver had no choice but to obey.

—Is this really alright?

Even if I was going to marry into the royal family, that kind of information wasn’t something that should be divulged unless there was a serious emergency. Let’s say if I were to sell this information to other countries. That would absolutely create more opportunities for assassins to pay the royal family a visit.

I wasn’t supposed to hear about such top-tier information until after graduation, when the full-fledged prince education would begin for the both of us.

As I anxiously looked up at Prince Redmond, everything in front of me suddenly became pitch-black. I’d been blindfolded with a piece of cloth. As he tied the fabric behind my head, he whispered passionately into my ear.

“—Lumiere, you only have yourself to blame. It’s time for your punishment.”

I have a bad feeling about this…

It happened when we were still in front of the usual school gate.

Not only Silver, many students bore witness to that.

—Surely, nothing bad will happen?

At that time, I had such an optimistic outlook.

—But then, he took me to some underground passage…

The reason I thought so was because we went down stairs. Even if Prince Redmond was carrying me, I was still able to get a sense of where I was due to the movement.

…It seems that we’re still in the academy premises.

When the blindfold was removed, I saw four walls with rough wood grains. Inside the room with only one light source and the minimal amount furniture, he proceeded to lay me on the bed.

Sitting on the bed, Prince Redmond ran his fingers through my hair.

“I heard Lumiere was having an affair… Is that true?”

From where did he hear that?

Was it His Highness Grimwald? Last time we met, he was still angry…

Even if I could surmise the culprit, it was to no avail.

…Because when I saw the ghost of a smile on Prince Redmond’s face, I knew his yandere-ness was about to run out of control. In that private room in the basement, there were only the two of us. If I didn’t calm him down somehow, I might be in real danger.

So, I shook my head.

However, Prince Redmond only chuckled.

“…While I was away, didn’t you become intimate with Hielo?”

As if—!

If anything, it was his own fiancée—Constanze—with whom he became intimate with.

“Furufuru…”

Then, Prince Redmond mentioned his younger brother’s name.

“I heard that you had a tryst with Grimwald the day before yesterday?”

A tryst…?

If holding hands or sharing ice cream counted as a date, then that might be the case. Still, that was all out of my control. At the end of the day, I decided to cut him off once and for all.

“Furufuru…”

When I denied his accusation, he mentioned the name of yet another gentleman.

“I met Ragri this morning, and he seemed out of it. Did something happen between you two?”

But wasn’t he just exhausted from the party that went on all night?

So, when I said, “Furufuru.” Prince Redmond mentioned an unexpected name.

“Then, you don’t have a special relationship with Silver, do you?”

“Fu—…”

Silver?

Why did Prince Redmond suddenly mention his name?

Silver was my attendant. He had been by my side since I was little, so I was accustomed to his presence. He provided me with his everlasting support…

…Well, he did make fun of me, his master. He was also noisy. When it came to his teasing, he wouldn’t hold back. I was constantly played around with by him.

But, as for whether or not there was a [special relationship] between us…

I hesitantly shook my head.

That’s right.

To me, Silver was no different from Hielo or Prince Grimwald…

…It isn’t illicit or anything.

“Then, there shouldn’t be any problems, right?”

Prince Redmond climbed on top of me, placing his hand right beside my face.

His long hair tickled my face. When I frowned, he apologized, “I’m sorry,” and tucked the lock of hair behind his ear.

His golden eyes seemed sorrowful. He seldom exposed the nape of his neck, but this time, from his loose collar, I could see his collarbone.

His bony fingertips caressed my cheek as his lips drew closer towards mine.

—No!!

I closed my eyes and placed both my hands against his chest.

Prince Redmond, who was acting unusual, smiled wryly.

“Why are you so afraid? Sooner or later, we’re going to do it. We’re engaged, after all.”

—That may be true, but…

“I just can’t shake off this uneasiness. Therefore, I have to ask your body to prove your innocence.”

If this were Silver…

Sometimes, we’d fool around on the bed… But I never recalled being scared of him.

—Silver…!!

His face suddenly appeared in my mind.

My good-looking servant who was always with me, watching me from the side.

His joyful face as he laughed at me, the target of his teasing.

His gentle face when he touched me without hesitation.

—Then, that young lady with a face similar to his.

I recalled her words.

“—The ‘S’ in ‘Sadist’ stands for ‘Service’!”

As I spat out those words, I slapped Prince Redmond on the cheek.

A crisp sound echoed inside the small room.

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