Chapter 402

After Brigitte returned, she dared not enter the room for a long while. It wasn’t until Viola’s furious voice rang out from inside. “What are you waiting for? Get in here now!” Only then, trembling all over, did Brigitte finally push the door open and step inside. Inside the room, Viola’s eyebrows arched in fury as she shot Brigitte a cold glare. “Where is Prince Fermin?” she asked. Brigitte dropped to her knees, trembling with Grace. “His Highness… Lady Blanche took him away,” she stammered. As expected, Viola flew into a rage and swept all the food and wine off the table, sending dishes and cups crashing to the floor. Shards flew everywhere, and a piece of them even hurt Brigitte’s face. “Useless! Utterly useless! How could you mess up even this simple task?” Viola raged, her face turning stark white with fury as she kept lashing out at Brigitte. Brigitte bit down hard on her lip, not daring to make a sound. Only after Viola’s fury had subsided did she dare steal a cautious glance at Viola. “Your Grace,” Brigitte said timidly, “if I may be so bold, please calm your anger. There will be plenty of other opportunities. What matters most now is making sure His Highness sees your virtues.” Brigitte only wanted to avoid becoming the target of Viola’s anger, but to her surprise, Viola took it seriously. Viola frowned at Brigitte and said curtly, “Get up.” She sat at her dressing table and commanded, “Dress me.” ‘It’s my wedding night. If I make a scene now, I’ll only make a fool of myself. Better to hold back my temper than become a laughingstock,’ Viola thought. Brigitte breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to remove Viola’s elaborate hair ornaments. After assisting Viola with her bath, she finally saw Viola settle into bed.

Meanwhile, a completely different scene was unfolding at Evander Manor. Natasha shot the man in the room a wary glare and hissed through gritted teeth, “If you dare lay a finger on me, you’re dead.” Evander was momentarily speechless. ‘If I don’t lay a finger on Natasha, then I’m truly doomed,’ Evander thought wryly to himself. He glanced at the nuptial cloth on the bed and cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Yeah,” Natasha retorted, a gleaming longsword resting beside her as she propped one long leg on the bed, her expression defiant. “I never wanted this marriage. Give it a year or so, then we’ll just split up and go our separate ways.” ‘Since I can’t refuse this marriage, I’ll just have to endure it for a year,’ she thought to herself. ‘If, after a year, I still haven’t produced an heir, the King will surely have Evander divorce me. Then I’ll finally be free.’ Evander listened to her outlandish idea, then leisurely took a seat at the table, poured himself a cup of wine, and said casually, “Fine by me.” “Wait, you agreed?” Natasha exclaimed in disbelief. ‘Given my demands, no sane man would ever say yes. Is Evander out of his mind? How could he possibly agree?’ she wondered, completely baffled. “Honestly, I didn’t want to get married either,” he said. “How about we just treat each other like friends from now on?” He raised his wine glass, cocked an eyebrow at Natasha, and teased, “Fancy a couple of drinks?” Natasha hadn’t had a single bite or sip all day and was starving enough to eat a horse. Seeing the table piled high with delicious food, she couldn’t help but swallow hard. Seeing her expression, Evander let out a soft chuckle, picked up his fork, and took a bite of the food. Nodding in approval as he chewed, he remarked, “Mmm, delicious, simply delicious. The imperial chef’s cooking truly is something else!” Like a gust of wind, Natasha swept in and plopped onto the chair. Without hesitation, she grabbed a fork and began devouring everything in sight, piling dish after dish onto her plate. “If only I’d known you felt the same way! You should’ve said so earlier. I’m starving to death here,” Natasha said. Seeing her ravenous display, Evander let out a soft, amused chuckle. He served Natasha some dishes, murmuring, “Take your time.” “Yeah, thanks.” Now that they’d reached an understanding, Natasha’s guard against him dropped considerably. She even picked up her glass and clinked it against his. “Come on, bottoms up!” she said. Evander drained his cup in a show of goodwill, and Natasha gave him an embarrassed smile. “Don’t mind me. That’s just how I am,” she said. “Since you’re willing to humor me, I promise I won’t hold you back in the future. In public, we’re husband and wife, but when we’re back here, we’re just friends. Deal?” Evander’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he nodded. “Okay.” The two of them, for once, were getting along. Before they knew it, they’d been drinking and laughing together late into the night. Eventually, both were utterly plastered, their eyes unfocused, and their bodies swaying unsteadily. Natasha patted her stomach and waved her hand dismissively. “No, no more. I can’t drink another drop,” she slurred. “Yeah, no more,” Evander slurred, reeking of alcohol as he patted Natasha on the shoulder. “Get to bed, or you’ll catch a chill.” Even though she was drunk, Natasha remained alert. She asked, “Then where are you gonna sleep?” “Me? I’ll sleep on the floor,” Evander slurred, grabbing a quilt and clumsily spreading it out. He flopped down and was out like a light. Seeing him like that, Natasha couldn’t help but clap her hands and burst out laughing. “You’re such a lightweight.” With that, she too face-planted onto the bed. However, Natasha hadn’t slept for long before she started tugging at her collar, her face twisted in discomfort. For some reason, the alcohol made her whole body burn with heat, like she got trapped in a steamy sauna. It was so intense that she couldn’t sleep. In a fluster, she quickly stripped off her outer layers, leaving only thin undergarments. But even so, that relentless heat wouldn’t subside. What Natasha didn’t know was that the wine on their wedding night contained an aphrodisiac. A couple of glasses wouldn’t have any effect, but she and Evander downed an entire pot. Needless to say, it hit hard. Natasha’s face burned crimson as she tumbled off the bed, collapsing onto the floor with her hands groping blindly. Evander, half-conscious because of the effects of the wine, was drifting in and out of sleep when he vaguely sensed someone touching him. He reached out and seized that person’s hand, a sharp retort already forming on his lips. But before he could speak, a pair of warm lips suddenly sealed his mouth. As the aphrodisiac kicked in, both of them got utterly consumed by desire. And then, everything unfolded as it should.

Outside, the matron heard the sounds from within and chuckled. “Mission accomplished,” she murmured. Now that Evander and Natasha had consummated their marriage, the imperial attendants could return to the palace to make their report. Soft dawn light filtered into the chamber, subtly revealing a pair of entwined figures on the ornately carved bed. Natasha squinted against the glaring sunlight, grumbling sleepily, “Ugh… Someone, close the window…” She shifted slightly in her sleep, only to feel the firm warmth of another body beside her. ‘Wait… There’s someone in my bed!’ Natasha’s eyes flew open at the thought. When she saw who was in bed with her, her eyes widened in shock. Evander looked equally horrified. ‘How the hell did we end up in bed together?’ he wondered. Natasha had a patchwork of red and purple marks all over her body, undeniable evidence of their passionate night. “You, you…. I–I…” Natasha stammered, torn between fury and frustration at the scene before her. Scattered fragments of memory flashed through her mind. Then, she remembered. Last night, in their drunken indiscretion, it was she who had climbed into Evander’s bed. Evander wore a deeply wronged expression, like a child caught doing something wrong. “Didn’t you say we’d just be friends? But last night, you—” “Shut up,” Natasha snapped, her eyes darting nervously. “That was just an accident. Let’s pretend it never happened.” “You’re not going to take responsibility for me?” Evander gasped dramatically. “You had your way with me, and now you want to deny it? Natasha, you’re truly shameless!” Natasha, feeling guilty but still trying to defend herself, muttered, “Hey, you could’ve pushed me away last night, you know. Besides, it’s not like you lost anything, right?” “Natasha!” Evander exclaimed, his eyes reddening dramatically. “I gave you my first time, and this is how you treat me?”