“I had to teach you how to be a prostitute. And now, do I have to teach you how to tie a bow tie?”

Grace, who was struggling with the bow tie, got angry and gave strength to her hands. The black belt tightened around his thick neck and crinkled. The man’s brows were also wrinkled, but it wasn’t like he was suffering from being strangled.

“That’s enough. Go get a handkerchief.”

In the end, he snatched the tie from her hand in one go and glanced at the dresser in the middle of the dressing room.

Grace was embarrassed.

He was a man who enjoyed every time she gave petty retributions. But after that night, he found her provocation annoying. These days, she was starting to realize that there were some people who were treated worse than dogs.

Clank.

She made her way to the dresser, wrapping her hands around the chain that was swinging annoyingly around her neck. Grace, who was opening the second drawer of the drawer and looking for a white handkerchief to match his black tailcoat jacket, suddenly looked into the bedroom beyond the open door.

“What… are you doing here?”

The face of Leon Winston when he woke up the next morning was a sight to behold. He was so embarrassed to see her lying on his bed, unleashed.

She was relieved that he had completely forgotten what happened the night before, but it only lasted for a moment. Judging from his cold face, the moment his eyes landed on the candy apple that had fallen on the floor, it was clear that he had found all of his memories.

It was proof that he remembered.

After that day, he never drank or brought her alcohol again, and he began to distance himself from her.

‘If you’re going to keep your distance, why do you make me serve you while you’re wearing your engagement attire?’

As Grace handed him a white handkerchief, the man who was straightening his bow tie glanced at the chest of his jacket.

Without answering, she put the handkerchief in his pocket and shaped it.

‘You go off to get engaged to another woman and leave your grooming to your mistress. You are truly a despicable human being.’

If it had been before that day, she would have said something sarcastic like this. But now, she treasured her words extremely.

Why did she do that that night?

She was caught up in this man’s swirling emotions and did something she would regret for a long time. Not only was an apology not enough, but she committed the atrocity of confessing that she truly liked him, so she shut her mouth.

Now, Grace was doing what she had been doing since this man discovered that she liked him.

The relationship between the two, which had been filled with disharmony, had been immersed in silence these days. Even chords that were out of tune and jarring could only be caused by friction between the strings and the bow. However, now that even the friction was avoided, the silence continued without any sound.

It seemed like it should be peaceful, but she felt anxious.

If they were uncomfortable with each other, they shouldn’t see each other. She couldn’t do that, but this man could do it without hesitation.

‘But why are you preparing for the engagement ceremony in the annex?’

Grace looked sullenly at the man wearing the golden wristwatch given as a gift by the Grand Duke’s family. As he was fastening the buckle on the inside of his wrist, he tilted his head and glanced to the side.

The moment their eyes met, Grace turned her head away from him.

She was pretending to be busy putting away the gift box he had left open when suddenly the boxes stacked up like a pyramid on an ottoman in the corner of the dressing room caught her eye. They all looked luxurious, and the design was too feminine to be that of a man.

‘…Is this a gift for the Grand Lady? But why is it here?’

Was it her business?

When she looked away—

“I look like a clown.”

—The man muttered bitterly as he straightened the shape of his shirt collar in front of the mirror. He didn’t seem to like the sight of himself dressed in a long, sleek tailcoat like a swallow’s tail.

At least it appealed to Grace.

It was not because he looked good, but because it was less intimidating than an officer’s uniform just looking at it.

Still, the arrogance doubled. The sophisticated design that emphasized his waistline made the thick waist look narrower than it actually was. It further highlighted his thick chest and broad shoulders even more. Added to that was a look of disdain, and there was the unique look of a nobleman, shiny enough to make her want to punch him with her fist.

Moreover, unlike the officer’s uniform jacket, it did not cover the waist or lower body, making the slender and long legs look even longer. She wanted to kick the back of his knee with her shin and break that pole-like leg, but it would be her legs that would break.

“Well, today I have to put on a show in front of others, so I’m like a clown.”

At the sharp muttering, Grace moved her pointed gaze away.

Today, that man’s nerves were so sharp that it felt like she could cut herself just by looking at him. When the preparation was finished, he pulled the leash around her neck. She was dragged down the hallway, the chains wrapped around her hands.

There was no one in the hallway, but it was still humiliating to see something like this.

“I walk on my own.”

“Just be thankful that I don’t make you crawl on all fours.”

He replied curtly and tugged on the leash towards the stairs. Grace gritted her teeth as she had no choice but to be dragged down.

The person who would be dragged around like a dog today was her.

It was because she was dissatisfied with that, she started growling like a dog all day long.

“Captain!”

She was just about to come down to the second floor and turned the landing when a soldier ran through the front door of the annex and called out to Winston.

His face turned pale as if he was a ghost in broad daylight.

The real ‘ghost of the torture chamber’ was pushed by Winston’s hand and had to hide in the second-floor hallway as soon as another man appeared.

“I must’ve told you not to come in until permission was given. What happened?”

“That is…”

The moment he was about to come up with an excuse, the front door burst open.

‘…Commander?’

When a person who should not be here appeared, Leon glared at the corporal in charge of guarding the main gate of the annex.

The corporal lowered his head with an expression of shame. No matter how much money and power were used to silence and coerce the soldiers, they were still bound to the military. In other words, if the commander orders the door to be opened, a single corporal cannot disobey it.

‘I need to replace it right away.’

Leon, who had been thinking of getting rid of the military and hiring private security after the inspector general’s intrusion, regretted not taking action sooner.

“Where is the torture chamber?”

Commander Davenport asked the corporal as he walked into the first-floor hallway. Fortunately, he didn’t know that Leon was on the stairs while he instructed quietly to the woman, who was leaning against the hallway wall.

“Go to the bedroom. Don’t make a sound.”

She was surprised that he, who never left her alone outside the torture room, asked her to stay in the room alone, but the woman only opened her eyes wide and did not move.

“If you obey me, I’ll take you for a walk in the garden tomorrow night.”

Instead of a whip, he gave her a carrot and the woman, while glaring at him, wrapped the leash around her hand.

Leon turned his head down only when he saw the woman creeping up on her heel like a stray cat. At that moment, the commander was about to head towards the basement stairs. As he went down the stairs and made some noise, the uninvited guest stopped as he was about to go to the basement.

“Ah, Captain. You just happened to be there.”

The commander lifted his head upward and smiled leisurely. Leon didn’t know that although he said it was a good thing that he was here, deep down, he thought it was a disaster.

“You came early.”

The commander wore a dark gray tailcoat. Since he was invited as a guest at the engagement party, there would have been no restrictions on passing through the main gate of his mansion.

“By the way, this is not the place where the engagement ceremony is held.”

When Leon, who came down to the first floor and stood face to face with him, gave him a look that clearly showed his true intentions, the commander’s relaxed smile crumbled, and his true intentions appeared even harder.

“I came to see that child.”

“Is that so? It’s unexpected.”

There was only one reason why the person who wanted to bury her in the torture chamber forever and treat her as a non-existent being came to see her with his own eyes more than anyone else.

“I came to check if your claims are true.”

There was a suspicion that Leon might be scheming by mentioning his illegitimate daughter, who might not even exist.

“Don’t let anyone get near.”

Leon first sent the corporal standing blankly in the hallway out.

The front door closed, and the two of them were alone. The commander gestured as if to lead him to the basement. Rather than taking his steps, Leon crossed his arms to indicate that he would not move.

“I’ll show you the pictures soon.”

“Something like a black and white picture! I can’t confirm whether she has my eyes, as you said.”

The commander tapped the end of the cane he was holding on the carpet.

__