Wouldn't be surprised if Melissa chooses Yuri as her most precious thing just to piss off Peacock - he wouldn't be able to refute that his item is more "valuable" and Yuri probably would confirm that she's Melissa's to avoid anything to do with him.
OMG Nine is so cute! Why would that even led to a misunderstanding? Did he thought that because his mistress is so boyish and hates the empire's most eligible bachelors that a yuri route is more possible for her?
Btw, Nine reminds me of Mikorin from Gekkan Shoujo. It's like he is the heroine of this manwha. I won't be surprised if in an alternate universe, Nozaki turned out to be this manhwa's writer and Nine is modeled after Mikorin!