The long-awaited visitor had returned, but Reizen, who promised to come in the morning, had not.

No matter how long she waited, only the sound of rain was loud outside the window.

Mr. Robert, with bandages wrapped around his head, was quarreling with a servant before finally going into the garden together to tend to the tulips. For the ninety-year-old gardener, that single tulip was his life and existence right now.

Things she hadn’t noticed when she first arrived at the castle after the wedding were starting to catch her eye one by one now. The expressions, tones, actions, and gazes of the servants working in the castle…

Melissa had completely cut off interactions with others for a while. Those who had been close to her before her family’s downfall all avoided her.

After her family’s downfall, even those she had believed to be friends since childhood were quick to ignore her. In the end, Melissa’s relationships were an outer wall she had been able to build up because she was a young lady.

So she thought that she, who had nothing to show for herself, wouldn’t be able to make any friends. Perhaps she had gradually drifted away from reality and lived alone in a different world all this time.

Actually, I’m not lonely.

I’m perfectly fine.

She had thoroughly ignored her surroundings while comforting herself like that. Perhaps that was Melissa’s mistake? Should she have faced things instead of avoiding them?

But back then…

“My lady, how is the pain?”

When afternoon came, Laila brought warm tea again. Since Melissa had no appetite and couldn’t eat, she also brought soup with beef and mushrooms.

Nora said taking medicine and getting plenty of rest was best when feeling nauseous, but Laila strongly insisted otherwise.

Unable to watch the two argue anymore, Melissa picked up a spoon and ate some soup. She planned to take both the soup and medicine so neither would think she was taking sides.

It would soon be time for the sun to set.

The menstruation that started after a long time was accompanied by considerable pain. Blood poured out like expelling long-held waste to the point it was hard to move.

But as she watched the sun set outside the window, she couldn’t bear the helpless tears that welled up. She felt like she would go crazy if she stayed cooped up in the bedroom.

Melissa put on an outdoor dress and headed out, running into the butler in the lobby.

“Has there been any other contact from the capital?”

“No, not yet…”

He laughed awkwardly as if he too was anxiously waiting for news.

“What about Lord Whilton?”

“He left the castle early in the morning. He probably went to the capital to assist His Highness.”

At dawn she had desperately waited for morning to come, and in the morning she prayed for time to pass quickly.

And now she earnestly wished that nothing would happen, that he would return safely.

At first, she only felt sorry for the suffering Reizen. But her heart wouldn’t allow her to give herself to the man out of guilt alone. Though she hesitated dozens of times under the covers, she could only keep thinking without being able to move a finger.

But now.

She saw the gardener finishing work and returning. Melissa, who had been wandering the lobby, sat under the gazebo erected in the center of the garden and looked at the scenery. Sometimes when the wind was strong, diagonal rain would strike and wet her face.

Raindrops gathered on her long black eyelashes like dew instead of tears and fell.

How could she explain this yearning feeling?

Why was she so confused like this?

Actually… she was a bit happy.

When he held her in front of Maidos, even in that moment stained with blood, she felt a warmth that brought tears to her eyes.

Even while hearing him groan in pain every night, when normal time returned the next day she gained conviction again. That this man was different.

That he sent someone to ruin Kelly, even that brought a small thrill deep inside. But her morality blocked those emotions, saying she shouldn’t feel that way.

Had she been told to honestly be happy about Maidos’s death?

Though she thought how could one be happy about someone’s death, such righteous thoughts gradually blurred after seeing the brand disappear in the bathroom.

Actually, she was quite happy.

That Maidos died, that Kelly was ruined. Each time a brand engraved on her body disappeared, her heart swelled as if the painful chains of the past binding her were breaking.

Though it was an emotion she couldn’t show anyone, didn’t she know? The truth of her secret inner feelings.

The raindrops falling on the ceiling grew thicker.

As the rain drove fiercely, the maids clamored to go inside. As she walked along the corridor with the maids carrying cold teacups and leftover refreshments…

Several male figures could be seen in the distance. As she watched a man dismounting from his horse, she could recognize him instantly even through the haze.

“My lady!”

“Keep your posture elegant at all times as if you could balance an apple on your head without it moving, and never run.”

Her grandfather’s voice faded to the background. She couldn’t see anything ahead through the curtain of rain. She ran through the endlessly pouring rain.

Her wet hair swayed strand by strand. Though each step was difficult due to her heavy dress, she leaped and ran until she was out of breath.

“Maintain a physical distance from your husband that is neither too far nor too close in front of others…”

“Reizen!”

“Make sure to address him by title, not name, so as not to damage imperial authority.”

He was a mess, completely soaked from the rain after dismounting. But such things couldn’t matter to Melissa who had recognized him from afar and run to him.

He had returned. Reizen.

Her husband whom she had been waiting for.

“Mel…”

Just as Reizen handed the reins to a servant and approached with a smile.

“You said you’d come in the morning!”

Melissa’s voice rang out clear through the rain.

“Did you make such a promise you couldn’t keep?”

Whilton, looking obviously tired, muttered that he deserved to be scolded as he left the scene.

“I told you not to worry.”

Then you shouldn’t have promised to come by morning.

If he had said tomorrow or the day after instead, she wouldn’t have worried herself sick like this.

“You must have waited.”

Melissa glared at him with a resentful face.

But such an expression seemed to please him as Reizen’s eyes curved into crescents. The way he smiled with his mouth open looked happy.

Even now there must be pain from the brand faintly glowing on his chest, so why was he smiling?

“Don’t smile.”

When Melissa grumbled seriously, Reizen’s expression gradually settled. The two people standing side by side in the rain looked into each other’s eyes.

Her body that had felt cold when the wind blew until just now had become warm without her noticing. No matter how fierce the rain pressed down on her body, it didn’t hurt or feel unpleasant.

Rather, the rain even felt refreshing as it cooled the hot heat.

Reizen’s hand touched Melissa’s cheek. It was a hand carrying enough heat to quickly warm the cold rainwater.

Melissa leaned her face into that hand, putting slight weight on it.

Strength entered his hand so her body wouldn’t tilt. Reizen took one step closer to stand right in front of Melissa.

“Call my name again.”

Melissa tilted her head back to look at his face.

A gaze full of desire stared straight at her. His hot hands holding her chin urged her as they lifted it.

“Hmm? Call it.”

Was it a request or a demand? She felt his sharp gaze as if he would devour her in one breath if she didn’t speak soon.

He raised one eyebrow as he looked at his reflection in Melissa’s eyes.

Come on, hurry.

Her pupils dilated, seemingly enchanted by the voice ringing in her ears.

Melissa’s small red lips parted. Just as words were about to leave her lips, moist with rainwater…

Reizen’s lips blocked her words.

Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise.

The presence of hazy figures visible in the distance no longer registered in her eyes. Her small hands that had reached out to push him away instead gripped his collar tightly.

As her large eyes slowly closed, Reizen’s hand grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. Wet sounds mixed with the falling rain.

Reizen’s lips gently held her lips. Each time the soft, tender flesh met and parted, intimate and lewd sounds emerged.

Her shoulders stiffened with tension. Hot heat rising from her stomach enveloped her whole body.

“Relax, Mel…”

The man with terribly seductive eyes said while caressing her cheek. She tried to answer but he didn’t seem to want a response. Before she could take a short breath, he gently captured her lips again.

When Melissa relaxed her lips as much as she could following Reizen’s words, he stroked her hair as if to say she did well.

As that touch swept down her wet back and waist, her lower abdomen tightened.

“Ha, uh…”

She was out of breath. After having her lips sucked for a while, Melissa let out a moan as her face turned red from the rising heat.