The memory was still vivid. The misery of seeing the handkerchief she embroidered with care by hand, torn to shreds.

“You threw away the gift I made with all my heart! When I’m not there— you call me a woman with just a body!! But now…. Oh, you didn’t mean it? You’re sorry to me?”

Damia’s exasperated voice, unable to overcome the accumulated wounds, was similar to crying. Her slender hands and shoulders trembled with an unbearable rage.

“How can you still say— with that mouth—that you like me!!!”

She cried out like a scream, managed to raise her hand, and struck Akkard with all her strength.

Akkard felt her blood spurt out of his chest as her fingertips hit him. A blunt weapon or iron arrowhead pierced his heart and made a huge hole in the middle of his body.

Otherwise, how could it be this painful?

The icy hostility emanating from her body and strong distrust corroded him like a deadly poison, killing him slowly.

However, as if those were not all the mistakes he had made, Damia’s anger had not yet been fully exhausted and poured out.

“Sir Akkard Valerian.”

Her lips whispered his name. And she spoke clearly, each word lanced with hatred.

“I hate you. So never approach me again.”

Simultaneously with those words, Damia whipped around with a ferocity.

Bang-!!

She left and slammed the door shut with a strong gust and boom. Left alone in the dark bedroom, Akkard was utterly devastated.

The place she had left after pouring out all her hot and furious anger was ironically too cold. So he couldn’t breathe at all, as if his lungs were frozen.

He gasped in pain, clutching his chest, like a wounded beast.

I have to go after her right now—Damia—somehow I must somehow explain that I never looked down on her… … .

He couldn’t move his body at all.

“Damn it… … .”

His eyes flickered. The belated energy of the sleeping pills rushed in, clouding his consciousness and made his body limp.

He slapped himself on the cheek, trying to get his act together. However, his wounded heart, beating and pounding violently, spread the medicine through his body even faster.

It was too late. In the end, he lost control and his body collapsed.

Before he lost consciousness, Akkard suddenly realized. He knew that this wasn’t the only time he was late.

Maybe that’s why. The he had lost Damia and let go in the end.

* * *

Heinrich, who was willing to accept Damia’s second audience, asked.

“Can you get me some black perfume?”

“Yes, your Highness.”

A look of surprise appeared on Heinrich’s face at the unexpected suggestion. Seeing this, Damia calmly answered.

“A merchant belonging to my family’s trading guild is returning from Bern and will pass the capital soon.”

“If it’s Bern… … . Then there is a high probability that the ‘black perfume’ is loaded on his cart.”

Indeed, Heinrich quickly understood the meaning of her words. She bowed her head at this and returned with an affirmative answer.

“That’s right. I will meet with the manager as soon as he arrives. At that time, I will try to steal a little bit of black perfume.”

After finishing her words, Damia looked up carefully at Heinrich’s face. She wondered if the Crown Prince would be able to figure out something if she brought him back some black perfume.

‘For example, what kind of use of black perfume oil is used by the High Temple.’

Apart from Heinrich being Crown Prince, Damia saw him only a second time. So she wasn’t sure how capable Heinrich would be.

It was only natural for her to check the cards before placing her stake. Heinrich, noticing Damia’s searching gaze, smiled.

“Oh.”

Fortunately, instead of being offended, he seemed to be amused.

“I have a very capable alchemist under my command. He is well versed in both science and theology. So, if you bring back the ‘black perfume oil’ that goes into the Great Hall, he will most likely find out its purpose.”

“My apologies.”

Only after getting a satisfactory answer did Damia lowered her eyes. The deal between Heinrich and her was thus established.

‘Not only is her face pretty, she’s quite clever.’

Heinrich clenched her chin and looked down at Damia, thinking. Last time he thought she was a bit of a weak girl because she was so out of her wits but he underestimated her too much.

He didn’t have to say things twice for her to notice what Heinrich wanted, and she even had the gumption to offer him a deal first.

From his point of view, she was an impeccably convenient ally. Of course he thought, ‘She’s the girl that Akkard fell in love with, so I anticipated much… … but she’s honestly exceeded my expectations.’

Indeed? Heinrich thought it would be very agreeable if she became Akkard’s mate. This made him want to meddle a little bit more than usual.

“Hmmmm, Lady Damia.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

“Well… … Sir Akkard.”

Heinrich was about to speak up and make a statement in defense of Akkard, as his subordinate. But Damia’s expression completely changed when she noticed that the topic of the conversation was about to move on to her private domain, even into her relationship with men.

“Do you have anything to say, my lord?”

It was a rather sensitive, sharp answer, not like the calm Damia. The moment he met her blue eyes, Heinrich was startled.

He wasn’t sure if he was imagining things,, but it felt like the bitter northern cold was raging in her eyes.

“… … No, nothing.”

Heinrich, who was second to none for being quick-witted, decided to retreat quickly.