The Duke of Debussy celebrated with a feast on his birthday banquet at his detached house. April Witzer faced a man who looked as if he was unsuited for the festivity. He wasn’t a stranger. This was actually the third time she had run into him.

“What is this……”

Ian Reykis, who bears the title of a Marquis, belongs to a prestigious martial family.

A workaholic who has no interest in society, a symbol of abstinence.

There were a lot of rumors about him, but nothing to explain how he acts now.

“Excuse me, Marquis Reykis?”

He was barely leaning against the wall. When she called his name, he raised his head.

The moment he looked up at April, she felt goosebumps over her whole body.

His hair drenched in sweat, golden eyes shining like that of a beast, and the immense color of lust emanating from them. His crimson lips shed a few hot breaths, and he seemed hot and heavy just from the side

“Please, just calm down for now.” “Ha…. Don’t come….any closer…”

He answered in a harsh voice, but April couldn’t do as he said. She knew that the reason he was like this was because of her own medicine. This was a problem that he always experienced even if the medicine was effective.

“You need to cool off.” “Don’t touch me.” “Just listen to me! Hey, can’t you hear me?”

The moment April reached out to his face to examine his fever, Ian clasped her wrist tightly and twisted her body.

“Ah!”

Every time April tried to escape herself from his grasp, he tightened his hands more and more. She felt him relax for a bit, but soon, her back hit the wall. However, April kept her eyes open.

“Ugh!”

When he clasped her hand, it seemed as if it would leave a black mark on the spot. The thick odor from his body irritated her nostrils. His heated lips left a trace of beauty on his neck as if he was a pharynx. April shrugged and opened her eyes.

‘Oh……no.

Ian’s face was in front of her. He opened his eyes sharply and glared at April. He furrowed his forehead several times as if he could not see well, but his eyes, like a brute beast, were much more fierce than usual.

“I told you….not to touch me.” “Bu-but if you don’t….take any action….”

April’s trembling voice broke in the middle. For he, unable to find any reason, had swallowed her lips.

His tongue had suffocated April to the point where she could hardly even breathe, while his disheveled breath kept tickling her neck. The arm, which was holding her back, gradually rose up.

Their bodies clung together in an instant. While his body seemed to be boiling constantly, she felt that she was now in considerable danger.

‘Please, please.

At the time when April was trying to shake him off with all her strength, his body, which had been pushing him violently until now, suddenly fell over April. His body was unable to withstand the energy of the medicine.

“Ha…..wealth is the enemy.”

April groped his tingling lips and looked down at him, who had fallen on the cold floor. The only thought that lingered on her mind was ‘I should not have received this “request”.’

(The Marquis of Elise Witzer brutally murdered 30 women in the province of Carleva. In addition, the fallen aristocrats tried to exploit the nobleman by performing a regiment against them. The evil witch, Elise Witzer, was burned to death.

Court of Carleva >>

April read the lines on the door of the laboratory again and again. It was a ‘must-do’ routine before starting the day.

Ten years ago, there was an incident that led to the collapse of a powerful noble family in the northern province of Carleva. It was Elise Witzer, the mother of the witch’s blood, who was cited as the perpetrator.

“It’s already been 10 years, mother.”

It was a miracle that she was able to escape. With the help of the Debussy family, which had ties to the Witzer family, she studied pharmacology at the Pedova boarding school and became a pharmacist, but it was not the end.

In order to get rid of the Witzers’ posthumous debt, she had to pay a huge amount of money to the court.

April was struggling to fill that ridiculous number every day in a small laboratory attached to the pharmacy where she worked.

“How are my babies?”

April opened the metal safe under the desk. During the day, she worked as a pharmacist, and at night she made seven copies of the medicine and special reagents commissioned by the ladies.

“Rill!”

While calculating the money, she heard the voice of the woman calling for her. It was Dalia, her partner, and the owner of the pharmacy. She was the one who allowed April to have a small room in a corner of the pharmacy to be used as a laboratory.

“I’ve been doing nothing all day, and I’m getting money?”

The moment Dalia opened the door, her eyes fell on April, who was crumpled under the desk.

“It’s because I want to give you money. How’s the dinner preparation going?” “Oh, well.”

At April’s question, Dalia mumbled her lips. Less than a few minutes after the first customer rang the bell, she came to my room, so something must have happened.

“Did we get another strange request?”

Instead of answering, Dalia kept the envelope on the desk. April, who opened the envelope thinking that it was a letter, looked at Dalia with wide eyes after checking the contents. It was a bill. The paper currency, which began to be used in the empire a year ago, was rarely seen unless it was a large amount, so this was surprising.

“Is this their first time at a pharmacy?” “I would say so. How did you know?” “Normally, nobles don’t bring paper currency to ordinary market pharmacies at night. Let’s change it to gold, even if it’s annoying. Who is it?” “The Count Rose, I think he has taken his way.”

Dalia put out the order. While wondering what on earth was the request for a large sum of money in advance, April carefully read the contents of the order. Then she sighed in vain.

(A bottle of powerful medicine that lifts the heat to the bottom after four days of its usage. >>

The order was too simple, but her schedule was tight, so she felt like she was given money more than necessary. It’s been a long time since she had made a potion because most people ask for cosmetics, contraceptives, and skin medications. But the manufacturing method was not that difficult, so she could make it quickly.

“Isn’t he an idiot? I can’t believe he wants to buy this at an expensive price. What on earth is he going to use it for?” “Doesn’t he want us to build a negotiation?” “A negotiation?” “It’s hard for us to understand the world of noblemen, but it’s obvious if it’s a bargaining chip. The price was so exorbitant that I tried to reject it over and over again, but he wouldn’t budge.”

It was Dalia who would meet several noble families every day and would listen to their prideful stories day after day. She glanced at her memory with her arms crossed and then approached April as if she had thought of something.

“The Marquis of Reykis is coming back soon.” “Oh….is that so? But why?”

When April asked, Dalia shook her head. It seemed to be ‘dumb’ and harsh. She doesn’t even know how their world works, let alone doing business with nobles.

“The Count Rose is known to be looking for the 7th son-in-law, right? That’s why the lady of the house gets so much attention… I wouldn’t have been able to show my face if I was her.”

“Where on earth did you hear that rumor?” “I have my ways. Do I have to tell you this too?”

“I don’t know. But I think your intentions are a bit impure.” “I don’t like it either, but if you refuse, you’re about to come in and knock it

over.”

Dalia shook her head. What Count Rose did was an order, not a request.

“I cannot. It’s better than failing here, so I will do it.” “Are you going to be okay?” “It will not be as effective as Count Rose’s imagination, but it will be all right if we keep the quantification perfect.”

After Dalia left, April took out a book of reagentology for the sake of checking the ingredients again. Since she used her own formula, she rarely unfolded it, so there was a thin layer of dust at the top of the book.

“I have to help Miss Lianna with her research and prepare a birthday present for her…”

She thought she would have to stay up all night if she started with the order now. In addition, tomorrow, she would have to prepare a birthday present for Princess Lianna of the Debussy family, whom she had been associated with thanks to the scholarship. Now that the debt had become more composed, she felt like she was saving money as she did not have time to spend it. April stared at the money envelope on the table for a while.

***

“Rill! The ingredients!”

By Dalia’s wave of hands in the morning, April opened her eyes with difficulty and checked the table clock. She fell asleep while studying all night, so her eyelids were a bit puffy.

“Do you want to sleep more?” “I’m fine. I have to make some money.” “How can you be sleepy? It’s going to be hectic today.” “Why?” “It’s the returning ceremony of His Highness.”

The Third Prince

It seemed that the army, led by the Grand Duke Fabian Augustine and Marquis Ian Reykis, had recently succeeded in conquering the periphery and was about to return. That’s probably why Count Rose hurried to visit. Fabian and lan are second to none in the Empire, so they will have no time to step in. Moving luggage through the crowd would be a pain in the neck.

“Wouldn’t there be a lot of spectators in the central square? The gathering is going to start anytime.”

When Dalia opened the window that had been closed all day, the noise outside poured in at once. April approached the window and looked down the street. People were already gathering. The streets were noisier than usual because many people were buzzing about.

“If you feel uncomfortable, do you want to go tomorrow?” “No. It’s okay. This is nothing.”

When April smiled and replied, “When did you sleep?” Dalia gave a tongue-tied answer. When Dalia first met April, who was looking for a job, she did not know that she was this crazy about money. She was just a smart girl who was preoccupied with her studies.

“Then get home safely.” “Yes, Dalia.”

She did not want to devote her time to the great people everyone else was interested in. April left the laboratory towards her home, hoping things would not get in the way. But in less than an hour, after she confidently stepped forward, her spirit turned into regret.

“What, how do I…. get through this?”

April thought about how to break through a paper bag full of petals in her arms. While she was getting the ingredients, people forced their way onto the pavement. Soon a heavy horn sounded and the flag rose high. Under a large flag with a black leopard on a golden background, a herd of riders was fast approaching. The lead was the Empire’s young hero, Grand Duke Fabian.

“Hey, wa-wait, let me pass!”

When the people started to cheer, April turned around desperately. The onlookers were more enthusiastic than she could have imagined, although she expected it to be this way because she had to pass either by shortcut or by another route.

“Oh, it’s Marquis Reykis!”

When April squeezed into the least crowded place and barely crossed the front, someone shouted. After minutes of the Grand Duke’s passing, when he appeared, people turned their heads in unison. It was like grass, where the wind was blowing.

‘Marquis?’

April turned her eyes there in the midst of her insanity. He, who was supposed to be right behind the Grand Duke, unexpectedly turned up behind the procession.

“That guy?’

He was a man she had never seen in the capital. He had raven black hair and was dressed in dark clothes. He kept looking forward while riding his horse. He might have been on the battlefield until a few days ago, but his golden eyes were surprisingly calm. She could not find any expression on his sleek face.

‘But I have to go now……’

When April tried to move away from the crowd while hugging her envelope tightly to herself, her body was suddenly pushed forward. The line of the spectators broke apart as people rushed to see him.

“Ah, wait!”

April lost her balance and was pushed to the ground. As her body leaned forward, red petals scattered away from the envelope. The side of the road was covered with so much dried petals that it looked like a flower garden.

“Ouch…….I should have listened to Dalia.”

The palm of her hand that swept down on the floor was stinging. It was fortunate that she didn’t get hurt enough to be bleeding. April bowed her head to look down at herself. The buzzing of the street seemed to have stopped, perhaps because of the accident that happened in an instant.

‘Now that I see……why is it so quiet?’

As she tried to pick up the petals, a dark shadow fell on the floor before her and a strange scent of smell came over the petals. It was similar to the perfume with musk, but it seemed more natural.

April lifted her head slightly. As soon as she saw the person who was standing before her, she hurried backwards.

‘I’m screwed.

There was a stream of women that tried to approach but held their way back. April has heard that he was a man with such a cold atmosphere that people always used to choose their words with caution. Some said that being polite to him was a way to stay safe.

Having made such a man turn round, she tried to recall if she had spoken any harsh words. But he was just staring down at April with an expressionless face. Soon, he lowered himself and began to pick up the petals.

“I-I will do it.”

April hurriedly reached out and touched his hand.

“Ah!”

The moment their fingertips touched, a strange energy passed through her hand. April was startled, pulling back her hand. He too, winced his hand away.

“This feeling…..!

It was a mixed but unfamiliar feeling. There was also a bit of creepy sensation. Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine that awoke the fear that had been sleeping inside her. Her fingers flinching and crouching, April grasped the part of her hand that had touched him

“Lady?”

He asked her quietly, his golden eyes shining coldly for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

“A-ah, no-nothing, just…..”

“Just?”

“No! It’s nothing.”

His gaze rested briefly on April’s eyes before his eyes fell on her fingertips. His eyes were so heavy and sharp on her that she had to look away awkwardly from him.

“I am sorry to make you fall down.”

Unexpectedly, Ian handed April a petal. It seemed to be just a

perfunctory remark because of his unbending voice, but it was very unusual for her to be apologized to by a noble, whom she had never met before. April managed to reach out with her trembling hand to pick up the petal.

“I am so sorry to interrupt you on your way.”

He held out his hand towards April instead. As soon as April gently placed her hand on his, the surroundings began to rattle. Of course, the people must be gossiping about the two of them.

However, Ian simply helped April to stand up, not even caring about the voices around him.

‘It feels weird.

April exhaled heavily, feeling a much stronger shiver than before. Obviously, his hands were much warmer than other people, but the energy that was spouting from them felt cold and sharp.