HTDCH~04

~Chapter 04~

“…What?”

I had been steadily downing strong liquor and was now slightly drunk when I heard his words.

“This is a place where no one can recognize anyone’s identity.”

“….”

“And ironically, that also means there are quite a few couples here who would make refined guests like you uncomfortable.”

I slowly turned around and looked at the lively tavern behind me.

Masked people in elegant party dresses, all drinking and chatting.

‘Now that I think about it…’

Most of them were sitting alone or in man–woman pairs.

And those couples all carried a strangely intimate atmosphere.

Perhaps because of the masks, some were even openly clinging to each other, as if they had no restraint at all.

“Wow.”

For a moment, all the men and women in the tavern began to blur together with the images of Kaiden and Tiana in masks.

‘Ha… I feel like burning this whole place down.’

Suppressing the urge to set the tavern on fire, I took another sip of whiskey instead.

“And this place is also often visited by high-ranking nobles who have been wounded in love, like yourself.”

“….”

“Sometimes, new romances bloom between those who share the same pain.”

“What?”

When I turned back, the bartender glanced at me and smiled faintly.

“If you wish for a new romance, we can arrange another guest for you. You are a long-time patron of Mascara, after all.”

He winked, as if telling me to call him anytime.

My mind went blank.

I understood what he meant after a moment of thought.

My face reflected in the on-the-rocks glass. A raven mask staring back at me.

Honestly… the suggestion was tempting.

Kaiden had already betrayed me with another woman. It wouldn’t matter if I talked to another man for a while.

‘But this wasn’t part of the plan…’

Would I regret this tomorrow when I woke up?

“….”

How much time had passed?

Staring at my reflection in the glass, I finally lifted it and downed the whiskey in one gulp.

Clink!

Setting the glass down, I swallowed the burning alcohol and said,

“Yes, let’s talk to someone.”

“…Should I arrange it?”

“Yes. And make sure he’s extremely handsome. The kind whose looks show even through the mask!”

No matter how I thought about it, Kaiden and Tiana infuriated me.

And I felt pathetic.

Fine. If I’ve already been stabbed in the back like this, I might as well relieve some stress.

Let’s have a little fun, like I used to when I was single.

Nothing would change just because I drank with another man for one night anyway.

And so, I accepted the bartender’s offer.

“A Cupid situation. The guest has requested a match.”

I had no idea that a reckless decision made on impulse would bring such consequences.

Later That Night

Tweet— tweet—

Birdsong rang loudly in my ears.

“Ugh…”

The first thing I felt was a splitting headache.

As I grabbed my head and slowly came to my senses, bright light filled my vision. It was clearly daytime.

Something was wrong.

The moment that thought formed, my eyes snapped open.

I shot upright. Soft fabric rustled beneath me.

I looked around and realized I was in an unfamiliar room. A ceiling I had never seen before, and a large white bed.

‘This… this is a hotel in the capital.’

Only a high-end hotel in the capital could have a room like this.

Definitely not my room in the ducal estate.

As I scanned the room, I swallowed a rising wave of nausea.

‘…I feel like I’m going to throw up.’

The smell of alcohol seemed to crawl up my throat. I covered my mouth and turned—

Then I noticed something.

“…Huh?”

Someone was lying next to me.

‘What…?’

I blinked, unable to process the situation.

Why was a strange man sleeping beside me?

Something had gone terribly wrong.

My original plan had been simple: drink alone, stay a night at a hotel, and clear my head.

But…

At that moment, fragments from last night flashed through my mind.

“If you wish for a new romance, we can arrange another guest for you.”

“Yes, let’s talk to someone.”

“And make sure he’s extremely handsome!”

“…What is this?”

I muttered blankly.

Once the first memory surfaced, the rest came rushing in.

“Wow, your mask looks like a wolf! Can I call you Wolf?”

“Do you know how much I suffered today? Seeing my husband with my friend—do you know how insane that makes a person?”

“I should burn them all. They’re all devils!”

“….”

I stood frozen as the memories flooded back.

And then—the final piece that explained everything.

“I’m going to stay at a hotel. Want to come up with me, Wolf?”

I covered my mouth.

My alcohol-soaked brain felt like it was short-circuiting. Like a fish suddenly thrown back into water.

No way.

So I… with another man…

‘I’ve never done anything like this even when I was a noble lady.’

Something on the floor caught my eye. Scattered clothes.

Alongside them—my raven mask, and his wolf mask.

And in my blurred memory… his face.

‘Don’t tell me…’

I slowly turned to confirm his identity.

And the moment I saw him—no, the moment I realized my memory wasn’t mistaken—

I nearly screamed.

‘What have I done…’

This man.

Anyone in the Empire would recognize him instantly.

Silver hair, and clear emerald eyes like a tranquil lake.

Now sleeping beside me with a sculpted face—

He was…

‘The Second Prince… Enrique Greenwood.’

A member of the Imperial family.

…Run.

After about ten minutes of agonizing thought, I reached a conclusion.

Yes. Run.

That was the only answer.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—I remembered nothing after entering the hotel room.

Both of us were clearly in a humiliating state, but…

Thankfully, the alcohol had wiped most of my memories clean.

Which meant I could run away a little more shamelessly.

‘He probably doesn’t remember me either.’

If I, who rarely ever blacked out from drinking, couldn’t remember anything…

Then the Second Prince, who had been just as drunk, likely didn’t remember me either.

‘If I had just drunk less… none of this would’ve happened…’

Why, of all people, did it have to be the Second Prince?

I sighed and looked at the man who was now my biggest problem.

I had asked for someone handsome—and somehow, I got exactly that.

The problem was that Prince Enrique Greenwood had a spotless reputation.

He was beloved by the entire Empire.

The Second Prince.

A man often said to surpass even the Crown Prince in looks and intelligence.

‘And I heard he rarely drinks…’

If it was discovered that he had spent the night at a hotel with the Duchess of Hamilton?

Chaos would erupt.

‘And I was the one who kept offering him drinks…’

If he woke up and remembered everything, I feared what punishment might follow.

Then there was only one chance to fix this.

‘Yes… definitely… run.’