Chapter 55
The Blooming of Desire
With just one sentence from Senelia, the atmosphere surrounding Benelucia shifted dramatically.
The man, who moments ago was as sharp and stifling as a blade, had completely vanished.
Lady Isia immediately understood.
This wasn’t for her sake. It was for the sake of Senelia Daphne, who might have been frightened.
“I’ll be sure to remember how His Grace treated me today.”
At those words, the marquess’s daughter narrowed her eyes.
She wasn’t oblivious. She had realized it too.
Benelucia had used her—only to provoke a reaction from Senelia.
Feeling humiliated, she couldn’t bear to remain a moment longer.
Lady Isia stormed out of the lounge.
Senelia silently watched her retreating figure.
That proud figure who could stand up to a Grand Duke and speak her mind—Senelia felt a painful, ugly jealousy.
Somehow, that confident back looked just like Lucalina’s.
Senelia’s mood sunk deeper.
“Why didn’t you fight back?!”
And when Benelucia shouted at her in that state, it twisted her insides all over again.
A crooked smile tugged at her lips.
“For someone who created this situation, isn’t that quite a contradictory thing to say?”
During the victory banquet, Benelucia’s partners had all been high-ranking noble ladies, each known for their prestige.
Of course, he hadn’t cared much about that.
In fact, Senelia was the lowest-ranking woman Benelucia had ever taken as a lover.
Under ordinary circumstances, a man like him would naturally associate with the upper nobility.
He must have hoped Senelia would feel jealous of those women.
But how could she? What right did she have?
Aside from being his lover, Senelia was truly… nothing.
That made it all the more infuriating.
He had driven her into this situation—and then had the nerve to ask why she didn’t fight back.
Senelia could only find it laughable.
“If you’d just done to her what you’ve done to me—”
Benelucia muttered in frustration.
There was regret in his voice, but Senelia shut it down coldly.
“Are you seriously telling me, a mere baron’s daughter, to stand up to a marquess’s daughter?”
“I’m here. What are you worried about?”
He meant he’d clean up the consequences. Senelia barely suppressed a bitter laugh.
Because of his own jealousy, he had thrown her into this mess.
It was true that she had pushed him emotionally—but the choice had still been his.
Now he expected her to break the rules of this class-based society and depend on his protection?
Senelia did not trust Benelucia.
She was not Lucalina. She could never be.
Eternal love from the male lead—that was for the female protagonist.
“What does His Grace have to do with me?”
Senelia believed only in one thing: Benelucia’s desire for her.
And so, she stoked that desire again, to keep him thirsty.
“Selie.”
His handsome face twisted with anguish.
It was enough for her to confirm—he wanted her, maybe not as much as he had wanted Lucalina, but still badly.
What a twisted relationship they had.
They always hurt each other just to feel something, just to confirm something.
“I appreciate your kindness in treating me so familiarly, but I must decline. I could never dare to call Your Grace by name.”
Having seen the reaction she wanted, Senelia added a final blow.
And finally, Benelucia lost his composure and pulled her forcefully by the waist.
“No matter your title, Your Grace, this is improper conduct.”
“Benelucia. Have you forgotten my name, Selie?”
“How could I forget the name of a noble imperial, Grand Duke Benelucia Afron?”
Senelia did not concede a single word.
She had firmly placed him and herself on opposite sides—as complete strangers.
And just as she intended, the more she distanced herself, the more suffocated he looked.
“Please release me. I wouldn’t dare lay hands on a member of the imperial family.”
“How strange. It’s not the first time we’ve touched.”
As their argument dragged on, Senelia grew tired.
She didn’t want a battle of words.
She wanted to be in his arms.
She wanted… the imperial decree.
The one that would end this proposal once and for all—with a command.
“That’s exactly why. It’ll never happen again.”
With that, Senelia yanked herself free.
Startled, Benelucia grabbed her tighter and yelled,
“Senelia Daphne!”
“Let go, Your Grace.”
Even as she felt the thundering beat of his heart so close, Senelia remained firm.
She needed to show him—he could no longer hold on to her this way.
“…Why is it that you’re the only one I can’t control?”
Senelia found that question laughable.
Even after all this time wooing her, he still believed things would go his way in the end.
How arrogant.
“That’s because I don’t love you, Your Grace.”
And so, Senelia finally brought an end to that arrogance.
She left no room for Benelucia to feel assured of anything about her ever again.
“…You don’t?”
His voice and eyes trembled all at once.
He wanted so desperately to deny her words.
“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? For me not to love you.”
But Senelia beat him to the punch.
Back when Benelucia had still been waiting for Lucalina, he had viewed her affection as a nuisance.
So, Senelia had ripped that love out of herself—like a nameless flower hidden in the corner.
Because she had to stay by his side.
“I know you love me.”
“Did you forget? I don’t love you. That was our agreement.”
Senelia had promised herself she would never confess love to Benelucia.
He had told her not to love him.
Or if she did, never to show it.
So she had obeyed.
And now, after all this time, he wanted her love.
After all these years?
“That damned promise…”
Benelucia looked at her with wounded eyes.
And oh, how Senelia—she felt a strange sense of satisfaction whenever he was hurt because of her.
At that moment, she finally realized—
She had been waiting. Waiting for the day she could finally tell him she didn’t love him.
That was why she’d rejected every one of his proposals with so many excuses.
Because she wanted him to suffer more.
“…Didn’t we already break that promise when we broke up?”
“True. But wouldn’t it be strange to talk about love with an ex?”
Their conversation spun in circles.
Senelia didn’t even leave him his last shred of pride.
“What the hell is the problem, Selie?”
“There is no problem. There can’t be a problem… there’s nothing between us.”
A marriage without love.
The more that shattered Benelucia’s pride, the more desperate he would become.
He would chase her all the harder.
“Hah… Selie, do you even know what happens when you go back on a marriage promise with royalty?”
Senelia had once accepted his proposal.
As he said, it might technically be a crime.
But punishment wasn’t what Benelucia truly wanted.
“It was just a verbal promise, wasn’t it? Or… was it a command, not a proposal?”
Once again, Senelia feigned ignorance.
Just as Benelucia had done so many times.
But the moment their eyes met, she knew.
She had finally gotten what she wanted.
“…Then it’s a command.”
With clenched teeth, Benelucia held out the emperor’s decree.
“An order from His Majesty himself.”
His smile was twisted.
He no longer hesitated.
He had even cast aside the last boundary of morality he’d clung to.
“So, you must marry me, Selie.”
Benelucia had chosen the worst way possible—to take her in the end.
Rejecting the Grand Duke’s proposal was already an insult to royalty.
But to reject the emperor’s decree as well?
Even the Daphnen family’s immunity wouldn’t be enough to save her.
Immunity only protected her from one thing.
“…I told you, I don’t love you.”
She couldn’t accept it outright.
Senelia purposely stalled.
“I already said it.”
Benelucia walked toward her, unfazed.
He took her left hand and slid on a ring—large diamonds at the center, surrounded by countless sparkling stones.
It was extravagant. And heavy.
A shackle.
Its weight would make it unforgettable.
“You don’t have to love me. Just endure me.”
Benelucia declared.
When he’d first said those words, he had been arrogant.
He thought she couldn’t help but fall in love eventually.
But this time… he truly meant it.
There was only one answer left for Senelia now.
She had no choice but to endure Benelucia’s love.
Because she had, unfortunately, ended up with a man like him.
