(I could never be with Silvio…)
All she could do now was absorb his fury. As his deep, forceful thrusts made her inner walls convulse and grip him tightly, he groaned. With a few more jerking movements, he released his hot seed inside her, sending her spiralling into a convulsive climax.
“Ahh… ahh…!”
As she fell into the depths of pleasure, she felt herself drifting further from any true happiness. Yet, in that moment, she smiled faintly, feeling that she had, in some small way, comforted him.
By the time the violent act was over, night had fully descended. The surrounding silence only highlighted how late it was. Clinging to the sofa, Idyllia panted heavily, while Silvio silently entered the bedroom.
“────…”
Despite her resolve, the degrading gaze he had given her during the act carved deeply into her heart. Picking up her fallen drawers, she dressed slowly, straightening her dress as much as possible before quietly leaving the room. His moonlit eyes had told her never to appear before him again, and she herself felt she could no longer stay.
At the door, she hesitated, feeling a pang of sadness at the thought that this was the end between them.
(I had no choice. It had to be this way.)
Even while his life was threatened, Silvio had tried to believe in her, thinking it was some mistake or that she had reasons beyond her control. She had cruelly rejected his outstretched hand, provoking his anger and ensuring her rejection. It was the inevitable consequence of her inability to refuse her sister’s demands. Yet, she couldn’t explain this to him.
(What should I do…)
Reluctant to seek her sister’s help given everything, and aware of how difficult it would be to find a safe carriage at this hour, she walked desolately down the empty hallway. Tears welled up as she felt the weight of her misery, wiping them away repeatedly with her hands. Despite the lavish dress she wore, she felt unbearably wretched.
♔ 5 – Agony and Truth ♔
“Such terms are outrageous! This cannot be serious!”
The queen’s shrill voice echoed through the meeting hall. She pounded her fist on the amber-coloured table, inlaid with green marble to match the dark green wallpaper, as she protested the final draft of the ceasefire agreement that had been negotiated over the past month.
“None of our discussions are reflected here! What was the point of these negotiations if—”
Silvio responded coolly to the queen’s outburst. “This is already a concession. Our king desired even harsher conditions.”
“It would be better to continue the war than to bow to such humiliating demands!”
“Fine by us. It was your country that sought the ceasefire, not ours.” Silvio’s provocative remark made the queen tremble with anger as she leaned over the table, glaring at him.
(How ugly—) he thought, noting how the queen, who had been a blooming rose at eighteen, now looked worn and haggard, her once-vibrant skin dulled by the stress and hidden under thick layers of makeup. Her eyes darted nervously, betraying her inner turmoil.
(It’s understandable, given her unreliable husband…)
A dark smile tugged at his lips. The king was said to be bedridden with a chronic illness, but Silvio knew the truth—he was paralyzed by fear, tormented nightly by nightmares of the crimes he had committed. Silvio’s hatred burned quietly but intensely. After securing his position in Mediolam, he had conducted his own investigation into the purge of the Fontana family. It turned out the young Fontanas’ attack on the Leveaux head was instigated by someone, and the subsequent purge was fuelled by deliberate provocations throughout the city.
The mastermind behind the fall of the Fontana family was none other than the current king. The then-crown prince had clashed violently with his father, aiming to weaken the king’s power by targeting the influential Fontana family, who supported him, and exploiting the Leveaux family’s animosity. Amid the chaos, he had successfully ousted his father and seized the throne.
(But—)
He never expected the Fontana heir to survive and return for revenge. His fear was justified. Silvio had no intention of showing mercy. Watching the queen seethe, he eventually spoke.
“…This decision is not mine alone. I must seek His Majesty’s approval.”
Her struggles with a weak-spirited husband were evident. Silvio nodded magnanimously. “Please, take your time. There’s no rush. We have plenty of it.”
“Of course. The Grand Duke of Noelheim seems quite occupied with his favourite attendant, trying to buy time by causing us trouble,” the queen retorted with a pointed remark, to which Silvio responded with a mocking smile.
“I discarded her. I lost interest.”
“Discarded? How cruel! To defile a woman devoted to God with worldly desires and then not even take minimal responsibility?”
“I initially considered making her my wife, but the circumstances changed. She was found with a lethal poison. I don’t know who ordered it, but it’s dangerous.”
The queen, her eyes shifting, responded with feigned concern. “How dreadful…”
“It seems someone was targeting my life, but I have no clue who it could be. What do you think, Your Majesty?”
After the tedious meeting, Silvio headed to the shooting range. Despite aiming at pigeons released by his attendant, he couldn’t hit any, his frustration from the previous night affecting his concentration. Each miss only added to his irritation. He knew the cause: Idyllia. He had tried to dismiss his subordinates’ pressure to confront her, believing it necessary to clear suspicions. Instead, he had unwittingly confirmed them. His men had found damning evidence among her belongings.