If she screamed in surprise, he could gag her mouth with a towel, and if she resisted, he could tie her up with the dress strings. Then lay her on the bed and bury his face between her snow-white br*asts.

The sweet fantasy continued.

Since her hair was neatly tied up, it wouldn’t interfere much while he sucked her neck and chest. She was a woman sensitive in the chest. She liked having her n*pples sucked, and would moan when they were twisted hard.

In his imagination, Izer swayed his hips. Celian had a thin waist. Her belly was also thin, so he could often see clearly how she took him in.

As prec*m began to drip and soak his underwear, Izer moved to his own room at that point. When he reached the second-floor corridor, he hesitated for a moment about which direction to go, but then smirked and headed towards his room.

But the thoughts continued.

She would enjoy it at first, but later beg him to stop with tears welling up in her eyes.

The foolish boy of the past would have become weak-hearted at that, pulling out his c*ck and hiding his excitement, but now there was no need for that. He could take that woman as he pleased, just as she had done.

At that moment, the Celian in his imagination let out a moan. It was mixed with a painful scream she had never uttered in front of him. It was a realistic reaction she might show if Izer were to force himself on her.

It was excessively vivid, but the man was too busy thrusting into the air to notice the dissonance.

* * *

The last to arrive at the dining table was the young duke. Celian, upon seeing Izer, awkwardly bowed her head. The large earrings swayed downward following her nod.

Of all places, her seat was right next to his. To have exposed her n*ked body so defenseless, the shame was unbearable.

Izer seemed more composed than she expected. Well, it had been six years since they parted. How many women must have clung to this young nobleman who was not only of noble birth but also handsome and well-built?

‘I suppose that means he’s doing well.’

Back then, Izer Ren, unlike other young men his age, had been sensitive about chastity. It was Uncle Ren’s influence.

On the other hand, the current Izer Chesterfield had become so desensitized that he didn’t flinch at the sight of a woman’s n*ked body — or so thought the woman who was unaware of the pungent smell lingering in his room right now.

In any case, it was fortunate that he showed no interest in her. Celian, relieved with a great misunderstanding, smiled kindly towards Percy sitting across from her.

As soon as he saw that smile, Izer’s lips twisted.

Everyone in this house prioritized Harris Chesterfield and Percy Chesterfield. Although it was the house where he sat as the heir, he was always secondary.

Was he superior because he had seen this woman’s n*ked body alone? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, blood rushed downwards. He ignored his stiffening c*ck and pulled out his chair with a casual smile.

A faint scent of lilac wafted from the woman sitting next to him. Izer glanced at her.

Her hair, which had been tightly tied up, was now loosened and half-down. It was a style suitable for the hairpin sent by the Duke, and coincidentally, it was also a hairstyle she often wore when she was young.

The beige dress he glimpsed was of the highest quality. The necklace and earrings were studded with pearls. The more he looked, the more exasperated he felt.

This must be the entertainment his adoptive father had chosen this time. Dressing up his adopted son’s first love who had ruined his life and presenting her before him. If he hoped for him to suffer while remembering the past, his plan had succeeded.

Though the n*ked version was a bit more physically tormenting than the dressed-up one. Izer spoke as he picked up his water glass.

“I didn’t know Miss Berienne would be joining us for dinner.”

“She’s in charge of Percy’s education. I wanted to show some gratitude at least once. I hope ‘Celian’ isn’t too uncomfortable.”

The display of familiarity was despicable. Was Harris Chesterfield trying to boast about his closeness to Celian, or did he want to bring up Izer’s past by repeatedly calling her name?

Either way, he didn’t want to dance to that man’s tune. He heard Celian’s voice answering from beside him.

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Grace. It’s an honor to be able to join the dinner thanks to you.”

Grateful, my foot, Izer sneered inwardly. It was about thirty minutes before dinner. After finishing m*sturbating and looking down from the window, he had witnessed Celian meeting some man.

The man was wearing a hat, so he couldn’t see his face. She had said she was planning to go out, it seemed she was supposed to meet that man.

Izer knew how much affection Celian lavished on people she liked. He had once been the recipient, after all. Her body must be aching, unable to meet her lover often, and now even having to cancel plans at the last minute.

‘That must be why her expression isn’t particularly bright.’

Before the main dishes were served, there was some brief conversation. Most of it was Renéee addressing family members and others responding.

Despite her efforts, the conversations didn’t last very long. Rather, the whispers between Percy and Celian were longer.

“Teacher, I heard that cabbages are originally spread out wide and then curl up as they ripen. What happens if a bug gets trapped inside?”

“They don’t curl up that quickly. Cabbages aren’t plants that eat insects.”

“Teacher, I heard peanuts originally have hair.”

“That’s because peanuts are roots. The shell has hair, but the seeds we eat don’t have any, so you can eat them without worry.”

…This is maddening. Izer thought as he brought a piece of cabbage salad sprinkled with peanuts to his mouth.

Children were so noisy. They talked about useless things. He still found Celian’s presence at the dinner table displeasing, but at least he appreciated how well she handled the child’s questions.

The door leading to the kitchen opened and servants entered. They didn’t seem surprised by Celian’s presence at the table, as if they had already been informed.

Celian stared intently at the table.

Each dish that came out was equally luxurious. Steaming clam soup too hot to even touch with a spoon, fresh salad made with vegetables just picked from the garden, bread served with the finest butter, and even roasted plover that the Duke had personally hunted on his way back yesterday.

These were once foods that Celian ate every day.

Celian suppressed the rising emotions. Her honor might be gone, but her pride remained intact. She couldn’t make a pathetic spectacle of herself, intoxicated by the past without knowing her place.

She focused on the meal. She didn’t confuse the fork and knife. She even perfectly executed the etiquette of drinking wine, which she had barely experienced before.

The long dinner ended in silence with only dessert remaining. The dessert chosen by the chef today was ice cream. Apple ice cream made by blending fresh apple juice was one of the specialties of the Duke’s household chef.

It looked like ordinary vanilla ice cream on the outside. The chef hid behind the door, enjoying the reactions of people invited to the dinner as they took a bite and were surprised by the strong apple flavor.

Just as Celian was about to bring a spoon of ice cream to her mouth. A hand suddenly shot out and pushed her ice cream bowl far away from her.

“……?”

Celian turned her head to the side.

Izer was eating his own ice cream with an expressionless face. The others seemed too busy eating their own desserts to notice the young duke’s pettiness.

‘What’s this? Am I not worthy of eating it?’

I like ice cream too. Just as she was about to feel upset, Percy smiled brightly.

“Apple ice cream really is the best.”

“……”

Celian was allergic to apples. When her condition was bad, her throat would swell up to the point where breathing became difficult.

Celian pushed her ice cream bowl towards Percy. She was worried that the Duke and Duchess might be offended, but her life took priority.

Fortunately, the silence at this table extended to questions as well. No one asked her the reason, though they might have. Celian was quite grateful for that indifference.

After the meal, the Duke of Chesterfield spoke as he removed the napkin from his neck.

“It’s nice to spend time as a family for once. Shall we play a card game in the living room? Dear, what do you think?”

“I’d like that.”

“Percy and Izer?”

Percy said he’d like it too. Izer declined.

“I’m sorry, I have a bit of a headache. I’ll go up and rest.”

“Alright. Get some good sleep.”

Pretending to be kind in front of Mother, huh. Izer responded halfheartedly.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Celian, you rest too. We’ll look after Percy and send him to his room later.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

A question flashed through Celian’s mind about whether it was okay for a five-year-old to play card games, but she ignored it.