“Please excuse this. I apologise for the antics of my men.”

“Is it your country’s custom to mock the royalty of defeated nations?”

Even as he was loudly accused, Silvio responded calmly.

“We genuinely wish for friendship with this country. As neighbouring nations, we hope to build a good relationship going forward.”

His polite and seemingly friendly response seemed to defuse the head of the Leveaux family’s anger.

“…Indeed, you are right.”

With his opponent losing momentum, Silvio pressed further.

“We would appreciate your support in the negotiations towards a ceasefire.”

The head of the Leveaux family responded in a lukewarm tone.

“Not just myself, but everyone at court will work for peace.”

With that, he exchanged a few more words before hastily leaving with his wife. Silvio then approached other members of the Leveaux family, but they all reacted similarly, with apprehension and reluctance.

In hindsight, no one spoke with him for more than three minutes. Returning to his room, Silvio’s previous courtesy vanished, replaced by rough behaviour. He threw his jacket onto the table in the living room and sat down heavily on a chair.

“So, that’s the new head of the Leveaux family. I heard your father passed away. How did that happen?”

“…He died suddenly of a heart attack.”

Idyllia replied expressionlessly, and he smirked.

“He was taken down by his daughter in the end. A fitting conclusion.”

His words suggested that her sister had a hand in it. But Idyllia couldn’t retort. It was well known that her father and sister were bitter rivals for control of the state. Everyone in the court thought the same. Idyllia tried not to think about it. When she received the news in the convent, she prayed for her father, who had followed his own path to the end, and cried a little. She thought her sister’s reign would continue for some time, but now things had turned out like this. Feeling the irony of fate, Idyllia neatly folded his jacket. Silvio, resting his arm on the back of the chair, looked thoughtful.

“What do you think of the Leveaux family’s reaction?”

“…They didn’t seem welcoming to you, Silvio.”

Silvio was the head of the delegation from the country holding the upper hand in the war. Naturally, one would expect the other side to ingratiate themselves. But the head of the Leveaux family loudly protested to Silvio, as if to show his opposition, and the others followed suit.

“Perhaps… they feel guilty about five years ago. They might be too ashamed to even face you now, Silvio…”

She voiced her thoughts tentatively. In truth, she didn’t understand why he was trying to get close to the Leveaux family. According to her sister, he was focusing on his current mission rather than past events, but how could someone not hold a grudge after such a tragedy and work with their enemy? Silvio, with his long legs sprawled rudely on the table, seemed to be pondering something. Noticing Idyllia watching him intently, he beckoned her over, dismissing his thoughts.

“Never mind. It’s just the beginning. But for now—”

He pulled Idyllia onto his lap as usual, wrapping his arms around her.

“Did you see the looks on the men’s faces when they saw you in that dress? They couldn’t help but turn up their noses at you.”

Saying this in a good mood, he fondled Idyllia’s ample breasts through her dress with his large hands and sucked on the nape of her neck.

“…Mmm…”

“Really, I can’t believe how naive I was.”

He teased, tracing her lips with his right hand.

“I used to think I would only kiss these lovely lips after we got married.”

“…”

“Yet, I used to lie awake every night, dreaming about how you would writhe if I were to fondle this chest of yours.”

With a whisper, his impudent left hand squeezed her soft flesh hard enough to bury itself in it. Feeling her nipples already hardening from the rough handling, Idyllia shook her head.

“…No way…”

“It’s true. I wish I could tell my past self that just a touch here would make Idyllia gush with joy.”

His hand slipped under the hem of her pomegranate-coloured dress and teased her through her underwear. The gentle touch made her skin prickle and her back shudder.

“…Ah…”

As Idyllia continued to shake her head, her face flushed, he teased her playfully.

“I’m sure I would have been even more tormented.”

He whispered low in her ear, his fingers tracing her intimate parts with a lascivious touch.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have been able to resist and would have attacked you.”

“…Ah, …ah…”

With her secret place being teased so rudely, Idyllia’s breath became hot and erratic. Her core ached with heat, and a seductive warmth filled her entire body. As she let out a heated sigh, his hand slipped into the wide neckline of her dress, pulling out her ample breasts that were pushed up by her corset. Even while still wearing her dress, her large, plump breasts spilled out, and he pinched her already hard nipples, causing her to let out a soft moan.

“Ah… Ah, …mm…”