"Your Grace... Your Grace..."
Celeste stood up, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him inside.
Sylas pleaded softly, full of grievance.
But his voice was too quiet, making it seem more like a coy refusal.
Celeste pushed him onto the bed. He kept complaining: "Your Grace, please, not like this? You know, I've already... I've already been with three women..."
"This can't happen. I'm a man. I can't accept this..."
"So you do know you're a worn-out whore ridden by thousands and stepped on by tens of thousands? Hmm?"
Celeste had also been drinking today, so she wasn't as tactful as usual.
Coupled with her anger, she directly reached out to touch Sylas's face, then mocked him.
Her delicate, sorrowful face leaned in, and she said coldly, "Tell me, does your Lady Sovereign know Jade slept with you?"
Sylas trembled and shook his head.
The matter with Jade was a secret never to see the light of day!
Isolde hadn't told Victoria.
So, Victoria believed he had only been with Her Majesty the Empress.
If it was only Her Majesty, Victoria certainly wouldn't care.
Being slept with by the highest-ranking Empress didn't make him dirty.
One must understand, things the Emperor used had a sense of sacredness.
Victoria, so utterly loyal, even believed Isolde bestowing her beloved husband upon her was something to boast about.
But if she knew her right-hand woman had also played with him in the dungeon, she would probably explode.
Her Majesty was brilliant, divine, young, and beautiful; it was fine if she slept with him.
But Jade was thirty-five!
The implications were enough to make Sylas's lips turn white with fear.
Sylas flusteredly grabbed Celeste's sleeve, trying his best to smile appeasingly. "Your Grace, it's better my Lady Sovereign doesn't find out about such things."
...
The snow had stopped.
Morning arrived.
Sylas lay restless in bed, wanting to get up, get dressed, and leave quickly.
But Celeste kept her eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
Her small hands were quite strong, wrapped around his slender waist, preventing him from moving.
"Your Grace... let me go, alright? I don't want to run into Victoria..."
He pleaded incessantly.
If they met at the entrance of the Duchess's manor first thing in the morning, the scene would be... something.
"Such a cold day, why leave? Stay at my manor from now on."
Celeste smiled happily.
She still didn't open her eyes, just grinned and said, "Kiss me again. Hurry up."
"Your Grace... you..."
Sylas felt like crying but had no tears.
He hadn't slept all night, only thinking about leaving.
But every time he tried to go, Celeste found some reason to keep him.
Even now, with the sky bright outside, he was still in bed.
Never mind anything else—if Victoria saw his carriage, wouldn't it be all over?
"Sylas, why are you so timid now? Are you that afraid of Victoria? Or have you come to rely on her?
Seeing you performed quite well last night, I'll kindly remind you of a few things.
Victoria won't last much longer.
Have you seen the laws she's concocted?
She's offended the entire noble class.
Hmph.
I bet the day those laws are promulgated will be the day she's drawn and quartered!"
Celeste finally opened her eyes. Her tone was sharp.
She found everything about Victoria wrong now.
Just waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Sylas's eyes were lifeless. He murmured, "Drawn and quartered? Can I be drawn and quartered with her?"
This was already the fourth woman.
He was building a reverse harem for himself.
He truly felt that no amount of snow outside could cover his own filth.
Now, even when these women called him a slut, he was almost getting used to it.
Were they insulting him?
They were just stating a fact.
"You're back to your life-and-death dramatics. Can't you be more optimistic?"
Celeste rubbed her cheek against his neck, comforting him, "Don't worry, even if Victoria dies, you'll be fine.
Elder Sister likes you so much; she'll definitely drag you back to the dungeon."
Sylas: "How is being dragged to a dungeon something to not worry about..."
"Anyway, you're not allowed to die."
Celeste's temper was somewhat better than Isolde's.
She didn't resort to hitting people readily, nor did she constantly threaten him.
She could even coax him from time to time.
After kissing the sorrowful Sylas, she finally told the truth.
"Victoria left last night. She went back to her own residence.
You were tricked into coming here by me, so there's no need to rush back."
"You..."
Hearing this, Sylas felt fury assault his heart.
He felt dizzy and lightheaded.
Being tricked here was his own foolishness.
But all last night, fearing Victoria was next door, he had kept his voice to a minimum, even begging
Celeste to be quieter.
For this, he had paid a painful price.
And now, Celeste told him Victoria wasn't there at all.
No wonder she had been so unrestrained.
Seeing how angry he was, Celeste couldn't help but laugh. She smirked, "Wasn't it thrilling? I found your nervousness last night especially adorable."
"..."
Sylas didn't want to deal with her anymore. He struggled again, preparing to get up.
Time to leave.
If he didn't go now, he'd be fooled into idiocy by Celeste soon.
This time, Celeste didn't stop him.
She also hurriedly dressed alongside Sylas.
After one night, her attitude towards Sylas had undergone a huge transformation.
So, when she spoke to him again, her face was full of smiles.
Celeste asked him to wait in the room for a moment. She took a small storage pouch and filled it with many things.
Then, she handed this pouch to Sylas: "There are tonics inside to strengthen your constitution. Eat more of them.
Build up your health. Come often in the future."
Sylas shuddered.
How did you sisters end up thinking the same thing?
Can I eat two sets of tonics?
Won't that make my nose bleed?
He hurriedly declined: "No, no, I have plenty at home."
Celeste's face immediately fell: "No. Those are from Victoria. The essence formed after you eat those, I don't want.
I want the one I cultivate myself."
"You... you are quite principled..."
Celeste laughed: "Of course. You count as my person now. Even if it's a secret affair, I will still take care of you."
"Then my mother and sister..."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely have people take good care of them."
Sylas mustered his courage: "Your Grace, the Duchess of Arbor, can I see my family?"
The smile on Celeste's face stiffened.
She looked displeased: "Sylas, don't push your luck. You're a prisoner, alright? If you meet them and then plot a rebellion, what then?"
"Won't happen. How could I rebel... Fine, I won't see them for now."
Sylas put on an appeasing smile, ultimately could only comfort himself.
As long as they were safe, that was enough.