Epilogue.1

The wedding preparations were proceeding smoothly. Adele, for the first time in her life, enjoyed meals prepared by others and fully embraced Chereph’s slightly twisted affection.  

She still disliked physical contact with others. She preferred to dress herself and bathe alone. However, after several months, Chereph’s touch no longer bothered her.  

In front of Chereph, Adele acted freely, just as she was doing now.  

“…The Knight Order is requesting your presence for a reception duty.”  

Reception duties had always been something pushed onto her. Adele raised an eyebrow.  

“Tell them to handle it themselves. Are they grown men or not?”  

“She’s right. The Duchess is absolutely right, so go back.”  

When Chereph plucked a grape and placed it into her mouth, Adele slyly licked his fingers before accepting it.  

There were quite a few people who were unhappy with this marriage, but the most unexpected opposition came from the Knight Order.  

Adele had said she would continue working, and Chereph hadn’t expressed any complaints. Yet, despite her words, Adele kept postponing her return to work.  

It was a miracle born from a single night of rebellion. If third-rate bards sang about such a story, they’d be kicked out of inns, and if someone wrote a novel about it, it would receive scathing reviews.  

Adele Limier, changed in just one night?  

Adele felt as though she had been walking a tightrope high above the ground for so long and had finally stepped onto solid ground.  

So, she wanted to enjoy this sense of security a little longer. She leaned on Chereph, their gazes dripping with affection as they looked at each other.  

“…”  

The sight was so sweet it felt like it could rot teeth. Behind the butler, a knight clenched his fists and sighed with a grim expression.  

As much as Adele enjoyed her well-deserved happiness, the Knight Order was drowning in a sea of paperwork.  

They had assumed she would continue working with them indefinitely, given how long she had been dedicated to her duties.  

So they sent Adele away, thinking that it would be no big deal if one person was absent for a while.

It wasn’t until Adele took her leave that the Knight Order realized the truth.  

‘At this rate, we’ll never leave the office until we die!’  

It felt as though gravestones for the Knight Order were piling up one by one. Losing just one senior secretary had such a significant impact on their work—it was a glaring issue.  

One by one, the well-bred staff began to leave their positions. If Adele was going to quit, at the very least, a proper handover was critical.  

“The resignation letters… they keep piling up.”  

“I see.”  

“Indeed.”  

As the saying goes, those who try to stop you are more annoying than those who criticize you. The knight found himself desperately wishing someone would silence Chereph Riat.  

Who would believe that this man, once a notorious libertine who neither stopped anyone from coming nor held anyone back from leaving, was now so devoted?  

Chereph treated Adele as though he had spent his entire life dedicated to her.  

Thanks to Chereph, who had quickly figured out and perfectly catered to workaholic Adele’s tastes, the Knight Order was grinding its teeth, especially with promotion tasks piling up.  

“Hmm.”  

Adele accepted another grape as she pondered.  

Perhaps it was time to return to work.  

But the stress she had accumulated over the years seemed to be catching up with her all at once, leaving her constantly tired and sleepy. It might have been a sign she had grown lazy. Adele was torn between her options, but before she could make a decision, a sweet, melting candy entered her mouth, cutting off her thoughts.  

“Want more?”  

“More.”  

Adele, who used to drink water after eating even the slightest piece of fruit, now found herself craving sweets more often.  

It seemed like a bad habit, but seeing Chereph enjoy trying out different sweets with her made her decide to let it slide.  

Chereph was perfectly attuned to Adele in every way.  

‘Hmm!’  

Except for the wild, irresistible nights.  

It felt like her heart was melting. 

Was this the love I had only heard about? 

Judging by the joy she felt, it seemed so.  

***

But after another week of being tormented in bed every night, Adele reached a conclusion in the early hours of the morning.  

She couldn’t delay any longer.  

She needed to help organize her work, distribute her tasks among several people, and properly submit her leave of absence for the wedding.  

The morning after making her decision, Adele laughed to herself.  

She had intentionally left things in disarray, thinking someone desperate might come to her. But she hadn’t expected one of the knights—who had always grumbled behind her back and acted insufferably to her face—to come begging for her return.  

She responded to the desperate knight.  

“I’ll return to work tomorrow.”  

“…Hmm.”  

The knight, about to cheer, hesitated at the sound Chereph made and glanced at him nervously.  

At least Chereph didn’t seem angry.  

After countless sparring sessions, the knight’s instincts for reading the room had become sharper than his skills, so he quietly withdrew. Watching the Duke’s contemplative expression, the knight shook his head.  

Whenever Chereph wore that look, it meant he was undoubtedly plotting something unpleasant.  

Adele, who had looked away for a moment, turned back to ask the knight a few questions about her return but found that he had already disappeared from sight.  

“You’re going back tomorrow?”  

“Yes. I need to submit my leave of absence as well.”  

Adele answered casually. Though their marriage hadn’t been officially held yet, there were still documents to sort out.  

With the Limier family gone, she was already living in the Duchess’s quarters of the Riat household, so her surname needed to be updated on the records.  

Lying on the bed, Adele counted the tasks she needed to complete at work on her fingers and smiled.  

“So, today isn’t possible.”  

“Hmm.”  

Adele, who used to seem perpetually cold and emotionless, now displayed a wide range of expressions.  

Chereph surprisingly agreed without protest and lay down beside her. His hand gently tucked her silver hair behind her ear, away from her forehead.  

“I still want to work.”  

“Then do it.”  

You should do what you want. 

That was her wish—to live life on her own terms.  

Chereph intended to let her do just that.  

“For today, I’ll let you rest.”  

“Alright.”  

Adele answered simply, snuggling into Chereph’s arms. It was an unconscious action.  

After spending so much time together, she could no longer remember what it was like to sleep without this warmth.  

Blinking her drowsy eyes a few times, Adele gazed at Chereph before falling asleep.  

***

Adele woke up again at dawn.  

Her thighs felt hot and sore, and as she reached down between them, her wrist was caught. The sensation was strange. Adele’s vision swayed up and down.  

“You’re awake?”  

“…?”  

Along with his voice came a wet sound. Adele wasn’t sure when it had started, but her body was lightly covered in sweat.  

“Ah…”  

Chereph moved his manhood between her thighs, rubbing against her skin. The tip pressed against her sensitive spot, heightening her arousal.  

“No… I said…”

“Yesterday.”

The day had already changed. Chereph’s smile held a trace of mischief.

Chereph’s smile carried a mischievous undertone.  

“Work starts today, doesn’t it?”  

“My promise was only until yesterday.”  

With only a few hours left before she had to leave, Adele felt conflicted. After months of experience, she knew that Chereph was not the kind of man to stop so easily. He lowered himself further over her.

“Hmm!”  

Without warning, Chereph thrust into her. Although they had rested for only a few hours, Adele’s body, which had been pushed to its limits repeatedly, had already grown wet even before she woke up.  

“…You feel so good.”  

Adele’s insides were always tight, and Chereph’s manhood filled her completely. Whether his words were meant for Adele or for the snug walls gripping him, Chereph murmured softly as he pressed in to the hilt, savoring the sensation.  

“…”  

Adele’s face, already flushed red, stared back at him. Her tear-filled blue eyes, deepened with emotion, made Chereph chuckle softly. He angled his hips to hit her favorite spot deep inside, the sensitive area he knew she loved.  

His size and force stirred her inner depths mercilessly. Adele trembled as if pierced by something sharp. Her body involuntarily arched upward. Chereph pulled out to the entrance and then slammed back in to the base.  

“Ahh!”  

—Thud! Thud!  

An overwhelming wave of pleasure engulfed her, making her lose her senses.