Chapter 27

****

“D*mn it, get off now.”

A harsh swear word escaped Theodore’s teeth.

Theodore, who was pretending to kiss Katarina’s face, pushed Katarina out only after his followers disappeared one by one, who had been paying attention to their deep affection.

“Did you just watch Yves Llewellyn? Why do you care so much about her?” 

“It’s none of your business. You just have to do your job.”

“Of course, I am working hard to find the traces of the one Your Majesty desires. I’m just worried. I wonder if Your Majesty may have forgotten. She’s the woman who Benjamin planted.”

Theodore himself knew better than anyone how suspicious Yves Llewellyn was.

And the fact that he wanted to get her out of his sight, but his own heart couldn’t get rid of her even more suspicious than her.

Theodore returned to the room alone, leaving Katarina behind.

After he sent everyone in the room away, he quietly opened the drawer.

That day he found his mother’s belongings, which he had taken from Yves Llewellyn.

It was the small hairpin crafted with red jewels that was used by his deceased mother when she married the imperial family.

It was also something he had kept for a long time to give to the woman who would be his companion.

[Are you really going to give me this?] (Katarina)

[Are you crazy? Go away.] (Theo)

Katarina, who followed him, was greedy for it, but Theodore snapped at her coldly. So Katarina gave up easily. 

It’s not that she wanted the hairpin in the first place, but that she just wanted to bully Yves.

At the same time, Katarina, who was still standing in the snow-covered garden, went to her carriage with a calm, subdued face.

Katarina was quick witted.

She noticed that the Emperor who cared about Yves Llewellyn, had more subtle feelings than just hated her.

No matter what feelings the two shared with each other, it didn’t matter to her.

But she still didn’t have the power to push Benjamin away, and this was something she couldn’t mess with her plans.

“Yves Llewellyn… What is it?”

Yves Llewellyn had something.

Katarina’s intuition was saying so.

Perhaps Yves was the key to grasping both the weaknesses of Emperor Theodore and Benjamin.

Yves Llewellyn. There was definitely something.

***

The next day, there was an accident.

It started when Katarina, who was going to participate in a hunting competition, begged Theodore to teach her how to ride a horse.

[What should I do, my fiancée? I’m very busy today.]

[Then can I ask Sir Yves?]

[Yes, of course.]

Theodore said he was busy and left Katarina to me.

Now, I don’t know what has changed since I was tied to Katarina in a master-slave relationship.

He once said he didn’t take me out of Ferdinand to be a slave.

It was purely Katarina’s fault that she fell while trying to get on her horse and was injured.

Without listening to my explanation, she pulled the reins at will, and her startled horse moved and crashed.

The imperial doctor treated her in a hurry, but the scar on her upper arm would not go away until her engagement.

“Because of you, I have to redo the dress to wear on my engagement day! There’s not even a full month left!”

I muttered to myself.

‘Why is it me?’

“Come this way, Yves.”

Katarina said in anger.

“It’s discipline time.”

She smiled and grabbed my wrist.

No wonder, when I looked into her eyes, the smile that lingered on her lips deepened even more.

“Theo has already given me full control over you.”

“I beg your pardon…………?”

“Why, Yves? It’s not the first time.”

At that moment, I returned to young Yves Llewellyn, who was speechless and helpless long ago amid the scourge of Katarina.

Katarina smiled wickedly and rolled up my sleeves.

“Oh my, your arms are clean.”

“What are you going to do now… … ?”

I belatedly awakened my mind, I twisted my wrist to get my arm away from her.

“I can’t be the only one with scars. It’s fair that you’re equally ugly!”

“Why is that fair?”

“Shut up and obediently put out your arm. Otherwise, I will call Theo.”

“Do you think I’ll obey you quietly if you call His Majesty?”

“You don’t want to be disciplined by Theo in front of his servants, do you?”

I had no choice but to stop moving at the words when she burst out laughing.

“Hey, look at how calm you really are. Do you like Theo by any chance? As a woman?”

“It’s pitiful. You need to know your position.”

It was time I clenched my lips at her mocking and just stared at her. 

“I heard you were hurt.” 

Click – 

The door opened and there was the sound of slow footsteps. It was Theodore. Could it be that he came all the way here because she was hurt?

“Theo!” 

Katarina suddenly pretended to be pitiful and called out his name. He frowned as he scanned the scene in the room slowly. 

“What are you doing… … … ?”

“Sir Yves hurt me.” 

Katarina wept and ran to Theodore and hung up. Then he naturally wrapped one arm around her waist and asked in a friendly voice.

“Oh, how’s your injury?’

“I have scars. It won’t go away until the engagement.” 

As Katarina rubbed her head against his chest, Theodore’s hand gently stroked her hair. 

“You must be upset.” 

“Yes, I am so upset. The dress also needs to be redone. There is not much time left.”

“I’ll send the Imperial Palace tailor. You’ll be able to get a new dress in no time.”

At that, Katarina looked up at him with a smile.

“Really?”

“Yes. So relax, my fiancée.”

He whispered as he kissed Katarina’s hair.

“Thank you, Theo. After all, you are the only one for me. By the way… “

Katarina’s fingers gently stroked Theo’s chest.

“No matter how much I think about it, I get angry. Because of Sir Yves, who injured me by being careless.”

“….”

Theodore’s expression turned harsh at her taunting. He turned and looked at me.

I felt like I was going to faint for nothing.

“So I tried to reprimand her, but she’s disobedient and rebellious.”

“Really?”

Theodore asked me. I really felt wrong.

“It wasn’t my negligence, it was Miss Katarina who didn’t listen and acted her way.”

“Oh my, look at that! You are framing me again!”

Katarina shouted and pointed her finger at me.

“Theo, may I punish Sir Yves as your fiancée?”

At her question, Theodore looked down at me silently.

“Do it.”

“Thank you, Theo.”

Katarina smiled and kissed Theodore’s cheek. Then she came towards me.

“You can watch if you want.”

“I’m busy with work, so I leave Yves Llewellyn’s discipline to you. Goodbye, my fiancée.”

Theodore smiled brightly at Katarina, then turned around and left.

“Oh, it’s too bad p. I wanted to show Theo.”

Katarina, who was watching him close the door until the end, smiled wickedly and looked back at me.

“Did you hear that? Get Yves Llewellyn to kneel down before me.”

As Theodore had entrusted her with my discipline, her attendants immediately followed her orders and grabbed me and made me knelt on the floor.

Her pointy heels trampled on the back of my hand, which was on the floor. The body, which had been accustomed to pain for a long time, met Theo and moved away, was hurt. The pain I had felt in a long time was painful.

Not long after, the servant brought a hot teapot at her order.

“What are you trying to do… ?”

“Come on,Yves, roll up your sleeves.”

Katarina smiled and tilted the teapot.

***

*Third pov*

Yves Llewellyn became strange.

It was the feeling Theodore felt the next day after Katarina fell and was injured while riding her horse.

The color in her green eyes, which had always been shining, disappeared.

She was the woman who, not so long ago, looked at him with eyes that were so tenderly affectionate that he was suffocating.

Now she looked at him with an indifferent gaze.

‘What the hell’s wrong with her?’

Theodore was strangely bothered by Yves’s indifference and was in a bad mood. So, in a sudden anger, he threw the fountain pen to the floor.

Clank!

The fountain pen filled with divine power rolled over to Yves’ feet, and stopped abruptly when it touched her shoes.

Yves Llewellyn, who found it, silently bowed her body, and picked up the fountain pen.

She then brought it to Theodore. Theodore, who was looking at the series of movements, suddenly noticed that the movement of her wrist was unusual.

“Wait, you…… !”

Theodore placed the fountain pen on the desk, and as Yves turned around, he grabbed her arm, and then rolled up her sleeves.

“….!”

And looking at her bare arm, he was stunned and speechless for a moment.

Clearly, her wrists and her arms, which were clean until not long ago, had new scars.

For a moment, Theodore’s eyes became cold.

She was a woman with the face of Yvonne, who had wounds on her wrist, which was her weakness.

At this time, Yves pulled her arm away from his grasp.

“How did you get hurt?”

“…”

Yves didn’t answer, just stared at him. Those soft green eyes reminded him of Yvonne.

‘No. Yvonne didn’t look at me with those eyes. It’s not Yvonne.’ 

Theodore had to ponder in his mind dozens, hundreds of times a day to avoid overlapping Yves Llewellyn and Yvonne.

“I accidentally spilled tea.”

Yves answered plainly and returned to her position. Theodore’s heart sank strangely at the sight.

“…… Just go and rest today.”

“I’m okay.”

“Do you not understand what I am saying? I don’t want to see you protect me with your hurt arm, so go away from my sight.”