Trio of Passion

Podium Play

Raphael jolted up from the bed, gasping for breath, and reached for his neck.

The chill of the guillotine's blade still lingered on his skin, but luckily his head was still firmly attached to his shoulders.

He looked up at the calendar, March 29, 1794.

He had been reborn. In his previous life, as the unfortunate second love interest of the heroine in a novel, he had chosen to take his dreaded walk to the guillotine on his 25th birthday in place of his rival, the male protagonist, to spare the female protagonist from heartbreak.

According to the plot, tonight was the night he would make his despaired escape. Raphael sighed, realising that this rebirth really had a knack for timing. Was there still hope for defying fate?

Suddenly, a cold mechanical voice sounded in his mind, "Congratulations, you have been bound to the Aphrodisiac System. Key item: <Intense Aphrodisiac> has been granted. Good luck to you."

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Half an hour later, Raphael strode into the office of the Committee of General Security with his head held high. He confidently slapped a thick stack of documents onto the desk and greeted the person sitting behind it with a smile.

"Good day, Citizen Quenet. This is the work report on the counter-revolutionary investigations in six sections of Paris this month."

"Why is it you delivering this?" Andre raised an eyebrow skeptically, not bothering to stand up as he picked up the documents.

From Andre's evasive gaze, Raphael understood that he was once again writing accusations against him. Instead of explaining, Raphael took advantage of Andre turning to browse through the papers and discreetly covered the mouth of Andre's water cup on the desk with his hand. The powdered form of the intense aphrodisiac, hidden in the cuff of his sleeve, silently fell into the cup.

"What are you standing there for?" Andre gave him a perplexed glare.

"I know I'm not welcome here. I'll be on my way." Raphael turned around with a smug smile.

As he reached the doorway, he glanced back and saw that pretentious man positioning himself closer to the window, chin slightly lifted, wearing an expression of arrogant seriousness.

"Let's see how long you can keep up the act," Raphael muttered, suppressing a laugh.

Just as he was about to take another step, he was abruptly collided with by a warm body against his chest. Instinctively, he embraced the person who was about to lose balance and then met Edith's gaze.

"Raphael? What are you doing here?" Edith looked at him with surprise.

"Edith? You're here?" a voice of delight came from the office.

"Looks like, there's an unexpected gain," Raphael whispered under his breath, noticing the basket of sweets in Edith's hands.

"What did you say?" Edith asked curiously.

"Nothing," Raphael responded with a confident smile. He stepped aside, gesturing theatrically with a "please come in" motion. "I won't disturb you two any longer. Goodbye."

Edith felt that Raphael was acting strange today. As she walked towards Andre's seat, she still kept turning her head to glance at Raphael's departing figure.

"Don't keep looking at him, dear," Andre grumbled as he stood up to greet her. "Did you bring some dessert for me again?"

This time, Edith rushed forward in three quick steps and pounced on her beloved, toppling him back into the embrace of the armchair, and straddled his lap. Andre gave her a knowing smile and pulled out a piece of sweet from the basket, placing it in his mouth, just as he always did, and then fed it to her.