Chapter 2

After that, they searched for possible causes of the amnesia for a long time but found nothing. Everyone was at a loss, when suddenly Lilia’s stomach growled loudly. Her face turned bright red, and Jane quickly spoke up.

“Come to think of it, Madam hasn’t eaten anything yet.”

“…Prepare the food again. Tell her to come to the dining room.”

Damon left the room with a sour expression. Ilena left too, so only Jane and Lilia remained.

“Madam, does your head hurt? Is your stomach okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh, Madam! Even if you’ve lost your memory, you’re still the Duchess. So please don’t use polite speech with the staff.”

“Um… Okay, I understand.”

It was uncomfortable to speak informally to someone who obviously looked older, but since she was told not to use polite speech, she had no choice.

“Right, you need to change clothes. Please follow me.”

Lilia got up and followed Jane. The place she entered was the dressing room. Gorgeous dresses hung everywhere, enough to make anyone’s head spin. Just selling one of the jewels on a dress could probably feed her for life.

“This is your dressing room, Madam. Which one would you like to wear?”

Lilia scanned the dresses in awe. There were so many that she’d need all day to look at them properly.

“Oh wow, this is so pretty! And this one too!”

She squealed with happiness as she looked at the dresses. Out of all the dresses, she chose a simple peach-colored one. Jane hurried to dress her, saying the Duke was waiting.

It felt awkward to have someone dress her, but Lilia tried to act natural. Even if she’d lost her memory, she was born a noble, so refusing would seem strange. After changing clothes and fixing her hair, she headed to the dining room.

“This way, Madam.”

“Okay.”

Lilia quickly followed Jane. The mansion was huge. She felt like she could get lost inside if she wasn’t careful. As she walked, looking around in amazement, she almost bumped into Jane’s back but managed to stop just in time. When the giant doors opened, the first thing she saw was a wide dining table.

“You’re here.”

Lilia shivered slightly—not out of fear, but because she liked the low voice so much.

To be honest, back in Korea, she’d fantasized about this man and pleasured herself many times. It was too embarrassing to tell anyone, but just thinking about having s*x with this man made her so excited she could hardly stand it.

She glanced at Damon as she sat down across from him. He couldn’t understand Lilia’s behavior at all. Honestly, they’d hardly ever eaten together, he could count the times on one hand. Now she sat down quietly without scowling, and it felt strange.

Damon stared at Lilia with a stiff expression, wondering if she’d really eaten something bad. On the other hand, Lilia felt so embarrassed by his intense gaze. Finally, she spoke carefully.

“Um… Damon, aren’t you staring a bit too much?”

“Oh, sorry. I just couldn’t help it, wondering if you’d really gone crazy.”

“I’m not crazy. I just lost my memory, that’s all.”

Surprisingly, Lilia did not shout back at his sharp words, but smiled sweetly and brushed it off as if it were nothing. Damon now wore a serious expression, wondering if someone else had entered her body. It was an absurd thought, but since she had become a completely different person, he couldn’t help but think so.

Lilia, while cutting her steak, secretly glanced at Damon. More precisely, she stole glances at his broad, muscular chest. Even though he was dressed, she could easily imagine it. She had read in the novel, over and over, just how enticing his chest was. Her hands itched to take off those clothes as soon as possible.

But she decided to wait until night. Even though they had separate rooms, she could simply go to him. For her, the contents of the book no longer mattered. With so many male leads, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to have at least one. Lilia decided to build up a bit of affection before nightfall. Otherwise, she might be turned away at his door.

“Damon, try this.”

She smiled sweetly and picked up a large duck leg with tongs, placing it on his plate. His eyes widened, and the maids standing nearby looked at her in surprise. Seeing their reactions, Lilia herself felt flustered.

‘Why are they reacting like this? Just how bad was their relationship as a couple?’

The novel only briefly mentioned their past, so it didn’t explain much.

‘Could it be they’ve never even shared a meal face-to-face?’

If that guess was true, she had a long way to go. She needed to build up affection to make her plan easier, but at this rate, it would take a long time. Damon stared at the duck leg Lilia had given him, not eating it, worried it might be poisoned.

Of course, the food was made by the chef, but still, you never know. When he only stared and didn’t eat, Lilia tilted her head and asked,

“Damon, why aren’t you eating? It’s really delicious.”

Lilia cut the meat with her knife and took a bite. The savory, seasoned duck melted in her mouth. She smiled happily. Eating delicious food naturally lifted her mood.

Seeing Lilia enjoy the duck so much, Damon cautiously took a bite, figuring it wasn’t poisoned. Watching him, Lilia’s eyes sparkled and she leaned closer to him.

“How is it? Isn’t it good?”

“…It is.”

Her sudden approach made him flinch and lean back a little. As she leaned forward, her dress slipped down a bit, revealing her cleavage, and Damon’s pupils shook. He quickly turned his gaze and cleared his throat, and Lilia, saying “Ah,” sat back in her seat.

Lilia watched Damon’s reaction with a smiling face. She deliberately didn’t cover her chest. Seeing him react made her feel relieved. When Damon put down his knife, Lilia did the same. She planned to stay by his side all day.

“I’ll get up first. There’s something urgent.”

“Oh, I’m finished too.”

He looked at Lilia with a sour expression, then left the dining room first. Instead of returning to her room, Lilia followed Damon for some reason. Eventually, he stopped in front of his office and turned around with a sigh. Behind him, Lilia stood quietly, blinking her big eyes.

“Do you have some business?”

“Of course. With you.”

“With me?”

“Let’s go in first.”

Lilia smiled boldly and gestured, and Damon entered the office with a troubled mind. As he sat on the sofa, she quickly took the seat next to him.

Damon couldn’t understand her behavior. Maybe she was trying to lower his guard and then kill him. Or perhaps she suddenly wanted to get along, but the first option seemed more likely.

The Fortein Duchy’s wealth was immense, so it was possible. Since they had no children, if he died, all the wealth would go to her. If Lilia knew what he was thinking, she’d pound the floor in frustration.

“Be honest.”

“About what?”

“What are you plotting?”

“Excuse me?”

“If you’re planning to kill me, I’ve already figured it out, so too bad.”

Lilia’s eyes widened in shock. Damon felt a bitter feeling at her reaction. He expected her to leave with a cold expression, but Lilia’s response was completely different.

“Kill you? Me? Kill you, Damon?”

“…Yes. Isn’t that it?”

“No! Are you crazy? Why would I kill you?”

“Then why are you doing this?”

He stared into her eyes, searching for innocence, and asked seriously. Lilia hesitated, unable to answer easily. When he frowned in frustration, she flinched and twisted her body. It was a strange reaction. Watching Damon’s expression, she carefully spoke.

“Then… can I be honest?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

If she wasn’t trying to kill him, she must want money. He was ready to hear the amount and decide whether or not to give it, but what she said was completely unexpected.

“I want to have s*x.”

“…What?”

“I want to have s*x with you.”

Damon’s eyes widened to the limit.

* * *

In the end, she was kicked out of the office. She’d spoken up, hoping for all or nothing, but didn’t expect to be thrown out so easily. Lilia sighed deeply in disappointment. She thought being direct might work, but it didn’t at all.

Still, Damon’s flustered face when she said it was very cute. She wanted to pounce on him right there, but was dragged out by his strong arms. Muttering in disappointment, Lilia left with heavy steps. Damon, meanwhile, was listening at the door to everything she said.

As her light footsteps faded away, he let out a small, suppressed sigh. Thinking again about what Lilia had said earlier, his ears grew hot.

Was she always the type to say things so brazenly? Or maybe he just didn’t know because they never talked.

“Haa…”

He sighed, covering his face with his large hand. This wasn’t the time for this—he needed to deal with his backlog of work. As he sat down and tried to focus, Lilia’s words about wanting s*x kept popping up in his mind. He couldn’t concentrate, so Damon eventually jumped up and left the office.

He thought swinging a sword at the training ground might clear his mind. Damon hurriedly changed clothes and headed for the training grounds.