Chapter 28: Aroused By Cruelty
The grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace glittered with wealth and power. But to Esme, it was another chance to earn the points she desperately needed to escape Eveyr.
As they descended the final step of the grand staircase and merged with the bustling crowd, the system suddenly hummed with renewed energy. But this time, instead of instructions or warnings, the system gave Esme a reward for surviving the cellar.
[System Reward: Social Interface Unlocked]
[Displaying Potential Jealousy Multipliers]
Esme frowned. Suddenly floating numbers appeared above the heads of the surrounding nobles. A handsome young duke across the room talking to another noble had a [+50] above his head while a dashing royal knight by the bar had a [+150].
The numbers showed how many points Esme could earn based on how jealous Eveyr would get if she interacted with them.
"Look at this," Esme murmured under her breath, scanning the room with sudden interest. "A room full of currency."
"Are you looking for someone, Esme?" Eveyr whispered.
"Just observing, Your Grace," she replied with a casual smile. "I’ve never attended a gathering at Imperial Palace before. Everything is so beautiful here."
Eveyr stared at her. Esme hardly smiled since the wedding so that sight felt unreal.
"Stay close," he said. "It might look beautiful but that doesn’t make it less dangerous."
Esme nodded, her eyes still scanning the crowd. Eveyr was scanning the crowd as well, looking for anyone who dared to stare at her for more than a second.
Before Esme could decide which noble to use to earn points, a group of noblewomen intercepted them by the grand fountain. The system immediately flashed a new warning in her vision.
[Targets Identified: Former Abusers]
[Context: These women relentlessly bullied the original host before her marriage, treating her as a disposable pawn]
Lady Clara, the ringleader of the group, stepped forward. She wore a bright pink and gold gown, waving a feathered fan. She smiled sweetly that of course didn’t reach her cruel eyes.
"Esme, darling!" Clara cooed, avoiding Eveyr, though her eyes flicked nervously to his uniform. "We were shocked to see you walk in! We heard terrible rumours of an explosion at the Keep..."
Clara paused, fluttering her fan as she finally glanced at Eveyr.
"We were so worried that His Grace’s temperament had finally caused a tragedy. After all, you always were such a fragile, helpless little girl. We thought you’d be in mourning by now."
The women behind her giggled, whispering behind their fans.
"I heard she was locked away," one murmured loudly. "I guess they were right. Look how pale she is."
The women dared to insult Esme in front of Eveyr only because they stood inside the Emperor’s ballroom. They knew if he harmed anyone here, he would be answerable to the Emperor directly.
The original Esme would have stammered in front of them. She would have looked at the floor with her wet eyes. But this Esme didn’t lower her eyes. She didn’t even shift her posture.
She casually lifted her champagne glass and took a slow sip. Then she looked Lady Clara up and down with such cold disdain that it made the other women squirm. Esme looked at Clara as if she were an insect that had crawled onto the palace rug.
"The only tragedy here tonight, Clara, is the seamstress you hired," Esme replied.
Clara’s fake smile disappeared instantly. Even her fan stopped fluttering.
"Excuse me?"
Esme gestured towards Clara’s dress as she spoke.
"Did she run out of velvet halfway through, or are asymmetrical hemlines the new fashion for the desperate? It looks like you bought something from a market stall and decided to call it haute couture."
A sharp gasp rippled through the surrounding nobles. Two of the women behind Clara quickly hid their mouths behind their fans, trying to control their laughter.
"How dare you?" Clara shouted, her eyes burning with rage. "You married a monster and suddenly you think you have a voice, Esme? Don’t forget what you were before you married him!"
"And you are currently nothing but an eyesore," Esme replied calmly. "Please step aside. Your dress is refracting the candlelight and it is giving me a headache."
No one dared to say anything. Then, Eveyr, who was standing beside Esme during this whole conversation chuckled. It sent a chill of terror through the group of women.
Clara’s face turned red in embarrassment. She stuttered, unable to think of a reply. Then she snapped her fan shut.
"We are leaving," she said and walked to the other corner of the ballroom, her humiliated entourage following her.
Esme smirked as she took another sip of her champagne.
"Well, that was therapeutic."
She glanced at her system interface, expecting a minor point drop for engaging with women instead of making Eveyr jealous with a man. But to her surprise, the points had increased.
[+200 Points!]
[Target is highly aroused by host’s cruelty]
Aroused?
Esme almost choked on her champagne. She coughed, putting her hand to her chest, and looked up at Eveyr.
"What...?"
He was already looking down at her. His eyes filled with intense hunger.
"You have a vicious tongue, my wife," Eveyr whispered.
He took a step forward, closing the small distance between them. His hand slid slightly lower on her waist as his thumb pressed firmly against the base of her spine. The touch made her shiver.
"I thought you brought me here to watch you play politics," Eveyr murmured against her hair. "But this is much better. Keep destroying them, Esme. Tear them apart piece by piece with your beautiful mouth. I enjoy watching you play with your food."
Esme stared into his dark eyes, her breath caught in her throat as she realized she wasn’t just managing a paranoid man’s jealousy anymore. By proving she wasn’t weak, she was feeding his sadism. He didn’t just want to lock her away from the world; he wanted her to burn the world down with him.
