I Abandoned the Male Lead Who Cheated with the Villainess - Chapter 225

“Glory to you, may you reign forever, the most exalted Emperor. Glory to you, may you reign forever, the most exalted Empress.”

The one leading the diplomatic delegation from the Republic was none other than the Foreign Minister.

Ivonne had expected the delegation to come with a bit more formality, but she certainly hadn’t anticipated the presence of the Foreign Minister. This was especially surprising because his name hadn’t been on the delegation list.

However, the real source of discomfort that Ivonne had been feeling from Herix’s consistent interference lay elsewhere.

“I am Clive Eisenwood, the Foreign Minister of the Ortensia Republic.”

The man greeting them with a polite bow was a handsome gentleman.

While Herix had a striking, intense presence that stirred the hearts of young ladies with his cool, nocturnal charm, Clive exuded the warmth of a sunny afternoon, someone who would appeal to adults, particularly those with daughters.

His light brown hair and sharp blue eyes contributed to this impression.

And above all,

“I’m very touched to meet you in person.”

The way he lightly touched his chest and spoke shyly made Ivonne unintentionally think to herself,

‘Yes… you really do seem touched.’

His buttons were literally doing all the hard work. She had never seen someone like this before.

Beneath such a pure and neat exterior, the man hid a physique that was surprisingly muscular and assertive—an almost obscene body!

Ivonne had never thought of herself as someone who would be attracted to a person’s body.

She had always valued character over looks and never imagined a day would come when she’d judge someone by their physique. She had noticed Herix’s body when he was hiding his identity, but that had been something else entirely.

‘That was because Herix had such a magnificent chest… No, wait.’

Before she crossed into another dimension, her soul had been drawn to him for different reasons. She certainly hadn’t been attracted to his body specifically. At least, that’s what Ivonne kept telling herself and would stubbornly argue.

Even now, married to Herix, she would pretend not to notice how much her heart fluttered when she saw his strong, life-filled body.

Regardless, Ivonne thought that Clive was someone who could make her lose her mind just by looking at him.

He was… intimidating. The buttons on his tightly stretched shirt were straining, and Ivonne couldn’t help but feel that they might give way at any moment, setting him free. She feared that if she stayed this close, she might get hit by one of those buttons popping off!

‘That button is even gold-plated.’

If it really popped off, it would probably hurt a lot.

Ivonne barely managed to turn her head and look up at Herix. She met his gaze directly, the look in his eyes as blatantly… as if he was teasing her, like some kind of ruffian.

‘Ugh.’

Her heart sank. It was the first time she had ever received such a look from him.

Of course, Herix wasn’t looking at her with contempt or pity. But the truth was, it stung and upset him. Because it was exactly what he had feared, and that’s why, even last night, early this morning, and right before leaving the bedroom, Herix had been teasing her relentlessly.

‘Ivonne is weak when it comes to chests.’

The truth Ivonne had always denied was something Herix instantly confirmed. She liked chests. Especially the ones that were, just the right amount of soft muscles.

Ivonne wouldn’t know. But when she fell into a deep sleep, she would often rub Herix’s chest, just like a little kitten kneading.

When she was having a nightmare or so exhausted she was half asleep, she would clutch his chest or pull herself up and lay herself on top of him, falling asleep almost immediately like a child.

There were other signs too, like when he left a few buttons undone, and when they talked face to face, her voice would go lower, or when they stood side by side, her glances would be a little lower than usual.

‘That’s why I didn’t want them to meet.’

The story of Clive’s large chest was well-known not just in the Ortensia Republic, but also among the women of the Sortenic Empire.

Ivonne, now that she was Empress, had a lot to learn, and only attended the social parties she truly needed, so she didn’t know about it.

But Herix did. He adjusted guest lists to ensure that any inappropriate stories wouldn’t be mixed into the parties Ivonne attended, meeting many people and hearing all sorts of things. Plus, he still hadn’t fully understood the true intentions behind Clive suddenly including himself in the delegation.

In this situation, Herix felt it was risky to have Ivonne meet with Clive.

‘But in the end, this is what happened.’