Chapter 3.2

‘Duke.’

She maintained her cold, distant tone. But then—

‘Chereph…!’

Adele Limier had never called him by his name. Yet last night, it had come so easily to her. 

What could she have been thinking?

‘Chereph.’

The once impenetrable woman, drunk, had spread her legs for him first. Adele, who seemed like she’d never make such a suggestion, had taken the initiative. Given her personality, she wouldn’t let it slide. She’d try to erase it as if it had never happened.

But he couldn’t let that happen.

Even after spending the night together, Adele Limier had vanished, acting as if nothing had occurred. Without waiting for a carriage, Chereph mounted his horse and rode off. It was an instinctive move.

But—

“She’s not here?”

She had slipped away too easily. Adele Limier was nowhere to be found in the knight order. 

The moment Chereph realized that, a chilling aura of bloodlust radiated from him. For an instant, it felt as though the air had frozen in place.

Some knights, as if bewitched, instinctively reached for their swords, while others collapsed to their knees. Those who managed to withstand the suffocating pressure still stood stiffly, their gazes fixed on a single empty spot, tense and motionless.

“Madman.”

Someone muttered. No one scolded him or apologized on his behalf. Everyone who saw him thought the same thing.

The Duke of Riat had finally, undoubtedly, gone mad.

Of course, even before inheriting his title, he had never been considered ordinary. But this was different.

Unlike the rumors of him being a womanizer, the Duke only ever met one woman at a time. However, he never spent long with any of them. He would discard women like they were one-night stands, leaving them with no lingering attachment.

But now, the Duke had turned the knight order upside down just because one woman was missing.

Chereph had stormed into the knight order at dawn, searched every corner, and suddenly demanded to know where Adele Limier was, causing chaos in the building.

‘Ah! If it’s Knight Adele, then today’s engagement.’

One knight, who had accidentally blurted out Adele’s whereabouts while clutching his left chest in pain, still lay on the ground, unable to move.

‘Engagement?’

Chereph had only spoken three sentences since entering the knight order:

Where is Adele Limier?  

She’s not here?  

Engagement?

With each question, tension grew, and the temperature seemed to drop. Rationally, someone should’ve stopped him, but their instincts held them back. While everyone hesitated, Chereph had already disappeared—to find Adele Limier.

***

And so, Chereph immediately turned his horse toward Viscount Limier’s estate. The ferocious man stormed into Adele’s room without giving the guards a chance to stop him.

“Chereph?”

Adele’s eyes widened as she saw Chereph suddenly appear. She was wearing only a thin chemise. 

How is the Duke in my room?

More urgent than correcting his improper form of address was the need to cover her indecent attire. In haste, Adele reached for the nearest piece of fabric and wrapped it around herself.

“What… what is this, in the middle of the day…?”

Whatever she said, Chereph’s gaze remained fixed on her.

“You’re getting engaged?”

“Ah.”

She should’ve just answered, but the words wouldn’t come out. What should she say?

As Adele hesitated, Chereph strode forward and grabbed her left wrist.

“Engagement. Of course, it has to happen.”

Adele froze under the intense gaze of his crimson eyes. He smirked.

“With me.”

She had never seen this look in Chereph’s eyes before. It was similar to last night but different. Though his lips curled into a smile, his eyes held no mirth.

Taking Adele’s hand, Chereph pressed a kiss against the ruby ring he had placed upon her finger, making sure she saw.

“You’ve already received the Duchess’s ring. Is an engagement even a question at this point? Let’s get married immediately.”

His voice was a low whisper. Adele couldn’t comprehend his words.

―Thud.

Chereph roughly pushed Adele onto the bed, which was strewn with clothes. The thin, fluttery chemise she wore barely covered her, making it seem as though she wasn’t dressed at all.

“When exactly… how…”

Was the news of my engagement such a grand event that it had reached the Duke’s ears? 

Adele blinked in confusion. Her reaction only made Chereph more exasperated. The old bed creaked under their combined weight.

“I told you. You’d probably forget it with ease.”

At his words, Adele shook her head slightly.

No.  

She hadn’t forgotten.  

She couldn’t forget.

The man, now overcome with excitement, had already climbed on top of her.  

“How exactly do I make sure you don’t forget me?”  

His hand gripped hers tightly, the one adorned with the ring he had given her.  

“I gave you this ring so you wouldn’t forget me, but now you’re ready to spread your legs for another man?”  

His voice was low, as though he was restraining himself.  

“How much more do I have to make you feel it for you to remember me, hmm?”  

Chereph’s heated hand slipped under Adele’s skirt, moving between her legs. Startled, Adele instinctively tried to close her legs.  

—Clang!  

“Adele Limier! Open this door!”  

—Clang, clang!  

It was the door Chereph had locked when he entered. The commotion outside grew louder.  

“…What? Who’s here?”  

“Your Grace, the Duke…”  

“Don’t be ridiculous! Why would His Grace come here?”  

The sound of someone roughly pulling at the locked door startled Adele. She struggled to crawl toward the headboard of the bed. That door could be opened at any time. After all, everything in this house was under the control of the Viscountess.  

“Che—no, Your Grace, please…” 

Adele whispered urgently. If anyone saw this scene, it wouldn’t end well. She might not care about ruining her own future, but she had no intention of ruining someone else’s.  

No matter how infamous Chereph was for being a womanizer, he was still someone who followed a certain code. He had never entertained more than one woman at a time, and above all, he had never forced himself on anyone.  

All the women had wanted him—or perhaps, he had made them want him.  

‘Ah…!’  

Thinking back to last night, Adele wondered if that could be true. How many women could resist his touch?  

She bit her lip. Yes, last night was good. Her first act of rebellion in life had been a success. She even thought it would be better if Marquis Beneaire found out she wasn’t a virgin and cast her aside.  

But Chereph Riat was different.  

“If the Viscountess sees this, who knows what rumors will spread? Leave immediately.”  

Her urgent whisper didn’t seem to sway Chereph, who showed no intention of getting off her. Adele’s hands pressed against his shoulders and chest, trying to push him away.  

“What? You don’t want your mother to see you rolling around with a strange man?”  

Looking up at Chereph’s sarcastic face, Adele found herself thinking, almost involuntarily:  

Showing the Viscountess something like this might not be so bad.  

…No, what am I thinking? 

She shook her head.  

—Clang, clang.  

The noise outside grew louder.  

“Bring the key!”  

The Viscountess’s shout echoed, and Adele could imagine the few servants scrambling in confusion. Her expression grew increasingly desperate, but Chereph remained calm.  

—Click.  

The sound of a key being inserted into the lock reached their ears. Chereph pressed down on Adele’s flailing hands.  

“Why did you ask that of me last night?

His voice was steady, not rushed. Adele froze mid-struggle.  

“Why are you asking that now…?”  

“I asked—why did you make that wish?”

His grip tightened.  

“What made you, the Adele Limier, who knows nothing of rebellion, suddenly give yourself to me?”  

He buried his face in the crook of her neck.  

“Was your wish for me to take you? Or…”  

—Click!  

The sound of the key turning in the lock came from the door.  

“…Was it perhaps to break off this engagement?”  

His hand crumpled the elaborate dress, tailored to the Marquis’s taste, that lay on the bed. Adele’s lips parted slightly. For a brief moment, their eyes met.  

“Make a wish. This time, you should choose carefully.”  

I won’t back down. 

Chereph’s words made Adele clutch the bedspread tightly.  

“What do you want?”  

Adele bit her lip. Her deliberation was brief—no, it didn’t exist.  

“A life where I live as I wish. A life where I’m not controlled by others.”  

“Then at least you won’t be the Marquis’s doll.”  

Chereph’s lips curled into a smirk.  

“I’ll gladly be your genie.”  

The moment he said that, the door swung open. Adele’s face turned pale.  

“Adele Limier!”  

“Ahhh!”  

The screams of the servants and the Viscountess’s furious shout filled the room.  

“D-Duke Riat?”  

Even the foolish Daisy had the audacity to utter Chereph’s name. Adele felt as though something had shattered. In the monochrome world she’d been living in, she could now see through the broken glass to the other side.  

From the crack, colors of all kinds seemed to seep through.  

But it was already too late for anything to be undone. Chereph, still atop her, slowly turned his head to look back.  

“…”  

“…”  

The servants, the Viscountess, and Daisy all stared blankly at the scene before them. They had all seen Chereph on top of Adele.  

Even Adele’s mind went blank. In this situation, it seemed Chereph was the only one who remained composed.  

—Rustle.  

As though he might finally move away, the shadow he cast over her seemed to withdraw. But then, he leaned down to press his lips against Adele’s bent knee.  

His gaze remained fixed on the door.  

“Now that our secret relationship has been exposed, what should we do?”  

His voice rang out, utterly unconcerned. In the silence, his hand slid up the inside of Adele’s thigh.  

“…!”  

Adele flinched in shock, her body trembling. A strong hand pressed firmly between her legs. His lips curved into a smooth smile.  

“There’s a scandalous rogue who touched a lady on the brink of marriage. The Marquis will surely come to challenge me with his gloves.”  

He stroked her thigh as if he didn’t care who was watching. The sensation made her feel as though she was growing damp beneath his touch.  

“I have no intention of stopping. Are you going to keep watching?”  

At his words, the Viscountess, who had been frozen in place, took a step back.  

“W-what is the meaning of this…?”  

“Let’s leave, Mother!”  

Daisy hurriedly dragged the Viscountess away as though fleeing.  

—Thud.  

The door closed again.