Chapter 3

"Your Highness! What are you doing? She's just a piece of trash from the countryside!"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Valentine backhanded Celia across the other side of her face, slapping her utterly senseless.

He scrambled forward on his knees and bowed his head deeply toward me.

"I didn't know... I didn't know Your Excellency had graced us with your presence... I, Valentine, deserve a thousand deaths."

I stared down at his violently shuddering back.

"Only recognizing me now?"

I let out a light chuckle. "Too late."

Valentine's body suddenly went rigid.

Five years ago in the North, corpses littered the plains, and even the bones of giant dragons were corroded into black sludge by the venom.

Just as he thought his death today was absolutely certain, even closing his eyes to await his doom...

A lazy voice, yet carrying a suffocating, oppressive weight, drifted in from beyond the main doors.

"What's this? Is my fiancée someone you lot can just bully as you please?"

Accompanied by this voice, a terrifyingly freezing aura swept through the entire banquet hall.

A third of the dragon-flame crystals on the domed ceiling instantly snuffed out.

Everyone shivered violently under this overwhelming pressure; even breathing became difficult.

A man clad in dark gold robes slowly walked in.

He had a tall, lean figure and a face so handsome it bordered on the unearthly. But his dark red eyes revealed an absolute apathy toward life.

Behind him loomed the faint, massive phantom of an Abyssal Dragon wreathed in black hellfire.

The Abyssal Dragon Duke, Zelos.

The Empire's only Prince of the Blood without the royal surname, and the bloodthirsty, ruthless lunatic in everyone's mouths.

Zelos didn't even spare Valentine a glance, walking straight up to me.

He stopped in front of me, looking down to size me up.

His gaze was unbridled, carrying the amusement of a predator examining its prey.

"So this is the substitute bride Marquis Renault found for me?"

He let out a light chuckle. "Looks like she doesn't have a very good temper."

I met his gaze, not yielding an inch.

"Your Grace's gaze isn't very polite, either."

The surrounding crowd gasped.

Daring to speak to the Abyssal Dragon Duke like that—this woman was absolutely dead!

Celia clutched her swollen face, a flash of vicious glee passing through her eyes. She waited to see me torn to shreds by Zelos.

However.

Not only did Zelos not lose his temper, but he also let out a low, delighted laugh.

"Interesting."

He suddenly reached out, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into his embrace.

An intense, cold fragrance tinged with the scent of blood washed over me.

"From this day forward, she is my, Zelos's, Duchess."

He swept his gaze around the room, his dark red eyes radiating chilling murderous intent.

"If anyone dares disrespect her again, I will have their family wiped from the face of the Dragonstone Continent."

Deathly silence filled the hall; no one dared make a single sound.

With his arm still around me, Zelos turned and walked toward the exit.

"Let's go, my lady. The air in here reeks."

Inside the carriage, all outside noise was completely cut off.

Zelos, who had just been holding me and declaring his claim, was now leaning lazily against the velvet cushions, toying with a pitch-black dagger.

"Master of the Abyssal Dragon's Lair, Visenya."

He didn't look up; his voice was as casual as if he were discussing the weather.

"Is the Marquis Renault estate really worth you making a personal trip to the Imperial Capital, let alone playing the role of a punching bag?"

Leaning against the opposite wall of the carriage, I leisurely adjusted my cuffs, covering the curse mark on my wrist.

"Your Grace's intelligence network is faster than I imagined."

I looked at him. "Since you know who I am, and yet you still dared to claim me in public, aren't you afraid of being poisoned to death in your bed in the middle of the night?"

"Is that what you care about?" he countered, finally raising his eyes. A dangerous glint flickered in his dark red pupils.

"All I know is that the dragon venom you just released is of exceedingly high purity. And my Abyssal Dragon happens to be suffering from indigestion lately from devouring too much trash."

He slid the dagger back into its sheath. "We need each other."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Mutual exploitation?"

"No." Zelos leaned in slightly, closing the distance between us.

"An alliance of the strong."

He stared into my eyes. "What is the Marquis Renault estate? What is the First Prince? You went through all this trouble to enter the capital; surely it wasn't just to slap a few faces?"

I smiled.

Smiled with absolute delight.

Like two wicked serpents finally finding their own kind in the mud.

"Deal."

I reached out my hand, a wisp of eerie purple venom glowing at my fingertips.

"But if Your Grace drags me down, I’ll kill you too."

Zelos grasped my hand, allowing that wisp of venom to pierce his skin.

"I look forward to it."