Chapter 10 (Part 12) 

Once inside the tent, the Duke draped a blanket over Therese’s shoulders.  

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll light a fire for you.”  

Seated on a makeshift bed, Therese shivered and pulled her shoulders inward.  

She had rushed to the border immediately after securing the weapons and supplies, leaving no time to rest.  

The sight of the Duke finally allowed her to relax.  

“…Ha.”  

Therese watched silently as the Duke lit the hearth.  

Droplets of water slid down the grooves of his muscular back as he moved.  

As she stared for a long while, the Duke, having finished lighting the fire, called out to her.  

“Come here.”  

Wrapped in her blanket, Therese approached him, and he gestured to a small fur rug.  

“Sit here.”  

“Thank you.”  

As soon as she sat, the Duke spoke in a chiding tone.  

“But why did you come without notice? I almost hurt you.”  

“I wanted to surprise you…”

However, the Duke, who was constantly plagued by assassination threats, later realized that such pranks weren’t a good idea.  

“Well, then, you’ve certainly succeeded.”  

The Duke pretended to clutch his chest in relief and gave a faint smile.  

As Therese extended her hands toward the fire for warmth, the blanket draped over her shoulders slipped down, revealing her roughly cut silver hair.  

“…Ah, this.”  

Embarrassed by the sight of her disheveled hair, Therese tried to cover it with her hands, but the Duke brought a towel and gently dried the ends of her hair.  

“There’s no need for that. Your long hair was beautiful, but it’s just as lovely short.”  

“…Mm.”  

The Duke’s sudden compliment made Therese’s cheeks flush red.  

Jeremy removed the damp blanket and replaced it with a dry one before continuing to dry her hair.  

Still, Therese felt guilty and uneasy about receiving such care from the Duke, who had just returned from battle. She reached out to stop him.  

“I can do it myself.”  

“If you don’t mind, please allow me.”  

Jeremy tightened his grip on the towel. To him, moments like these felt like a dream.  

To be able to touch her soft silver hair, hear her voice, and feel her warmth—it was almost too much.  

But then, the realization that she was here, in the dangerous borderlands, tightened his chest.  

“This place is far too dangerous…”  

His voice trailed off as he was about to question why she had come.  

Noticing his expression, Therese gave a faint smile.  

“With you here, Your Grace, isn’t it safe?”  

Therese wasn’t wrong, so Jeremy couldn’t argue further.  

Jeremy Richard was prepared to swear by Diana to protect Therese.  

Therese continued calmly.  

“I heard about the situation here from the butler.”  

Her words made Jeremy clench his fists.  

“But this matter…”  

“Have you forgotten that I’m a merchant?”  

Seeing the heavy expression on the Duke’s face, Therese tried to lighten the mood with a joke.  

But Jeremy still couldn’t bring himself to smile.  

After a moment, he spoke with a serious expression.  

“I will repay you by securing victory.”  

“I’ve always trusted you, Your Grace.”  

Gently wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he lowered his head.  

“I did it for you.”  

Until now, Jeremy Richard had endured solely with the belief in protecting the Empire. But after seeing Therese’s face, her safety became his top priority.  

“What do you mean…”  

“I’ve been trying to protect you here.”  

Even if it was a feeble excuse, Jeremy was sincere.  

“Your Grace…”  

As he quickly turned, the blanket covering Therese’s shoulders slipped to the ground.  

Beneath her still-damp shirt, her soft curves and translucent skin were fully revealed.  

“Let me…”  

Blushing furiously, the Duke tried to cover her again with the blanket, but Therese grabbed his wrist.  

“I’d like us to talk more in the future.”  

Therese didn’t voice the words that followed: 

If that’s even possible. 

“…Mm.”  

Jeremy let out a quiet hum in response to her words.  

Indeed, the two of them had spoken little.  

Jeremy had believed that his cursed existence brought no benefit to Therese and had distanced himself from her after their marriage.  

He had even wished for her to hate him.  

In truth, he had desperately wanted her love more than anyone else.  

So, many of the things he did, claiming they were for her, might not have been what she truly wanted.  

And thus, Jeremy witnessed the tragedy of Therese’s death.  

Recalling the painful memories of the past, Jeremy replied earnestly.  

“I will make sure of it.”  

“…”  

As the two gazed at each other for a long time, their faces gradually drew closer.  

Without knowing who moved first, their lips met, and a mix of cold and warm sensations enveloped them both.  

At that moment, Jeremy felt the lukewarm tears flowing between their cheeks.  

“Madame, why are you crying?”  

“I’m just so happy.”  

Jeremy pulled back from the kiss and looked at her tear-filled eyes with concern.  

“When you cry, I can’t do anything.”  

“These are tears of joy.”  

Therese, her eyes glistening with tears, gave a faint smile. But Jeremy felt a foreboding sense of unease.  

“What’s going on?”  

If it was just about delivering supplies to the border, there was no need for her to come in person.  

Under Jeremy’s persistent questioning, Therese wiped her tears and forced the brightest smile she could muster.  

“It’s nothing.”  

In truth, the Emperor was threatening her, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell the Duke.  

She was simply grateful to spend one last night with him like this.  

‘Tonight is the end for us.’  

Though they had come a long way, their fates hadn’t changed at all.  

‘No matter how hard I try, we’re just not meant to be.’

The invisible threads of destiny had bound her tightly, trapping her in a cocoon.  

But Therese had used all her remaining strength to come here—to help the Duke and to bid him farewell.  

Suppressing the sobs threatening to escape, Therese spoke.  

“Your Grace, will you promise me one thing?”  

“What is it?”  

“Just… like now…”  

Jeremy interrupted her with a kiss. Her trembling gaze had been unsettling him for a while now.  

“I’ll hear the rest next time.”  

“…Ha.”  

Still holding her in his arms, Jeremy carried her effortlessly.  

“First, let’s get you into dry clothes.”  

Placing Therese on the bed, Jeremy didn’t hesitate to remove her clothes.  

He then brought his own shirt and draped it over her shoulders.  

As he tied the strings of the shirt, the veins on the back of his hand bulged prominently.  

“Your Grace.”  

Feeling the heat radiating from him, Therese spoke in a trembling voice.  

“Are you unwell?”  

“Ha, it would’ve been better if you hadn’t asked.”  

Jeremy’s voice came out rough as he struggled to suppress his desire.  

“What… what do you mean…”  

The Duke’s hand slid under the shirt, gripping her bare skin.  

Therese’s face filled with fear at his sudden touch.  

“Y-Your Grace.”  

“I’ve been thinking about this ever since.”  

The moment Jeremy saw Therese’s water-soaked face, he had been consumed by the desire to claim her.  

“What if someone hears…”  

Therese glanced nervously at the shadows flickering outside the tent.  

But Jeremy, who could see and hear nothing but Therese, remained unmoved.  

“You’ll never know how much I desire you.”  

Therese tried to squirm away from his grasp, but his rough hands held her firmly.  

The strings of the shirt came undone, leaving her bare body exposed to Jeremy’s gaze.  

“Do you see this?”  

The Duke extended his arm, showing her the scars left behind.  

“…Ah.”  

The scars looked as though they spelled out the first letter of Therese’s name.  

“Even with this mark showing that I belong to you, you still act as if you don’t know.”  

“It’s not that…”  

Faced with such an uncanny coincidence, Therese didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The Duke whispered eternal love to her as she prepared to bid her final farewell.  

“Can’t you look at me just once?”  

His voice, dripping with desperation, made Therese bite her lip.  

“I’m looking at you right now, Your Grace.”  

Though she knew this wasn’t the answer he wanted, it was all she could say.  

“You don’t have to love me. Just allow me to stay by your side. If you wish, I can even agree to a divorce. I’ll do anything.”  

“…Ah.” 

Therese closed her eyes tightly as she watched the Duke plead for her love.  

‘I shouldn’t have come.’  

She regretted it too late, but the thought of parting without seeing his face one last time had been unbearable.  

“I should be going now.”  

Her original plan had been to greet him briefly and then return to the carriage immediately.  

As she tried to pull her shirt together with her hands, the Duke grabbed her slender wrist.  

“I’ve dreamed every day of being with you.”  

His languid voice resonated as he positioned himself above her.  

“Even here, I imagined you every night.”  

Trapped between his strong legs, Therese shut her eyes tightly.  

‘I need to run.’  

But at the same time, she didn’t want to.  

Ever since she saw the Duke, who resembled an ancient god, bathing in the spring earlier…  

‘I want this man.’  

The night she felt the Duke’s love with her entire being, her body had seemed on the verge of breaking apart, yet her heart had overflowed with happiness.  

It was a satisfaction she had never felt in her life.  

“Could this be a dream again today?”  

His voice, as if wandering through a dream, made Therese open her eyes. She saw the Duke’s flushed gaze.  

“Yes, it must be a dream.”  

It was cowardly to use the dream as an excuse again, but if it allowed her to be with the Duke, Therese was willing to do so.  

As her hand traced the veins bulging on the back of his hand, Jeremy trembled like a leaf in the wind.  

“Ha, I’m holding back right now…”  

The Duke gritted his teeth as he lowered his head to her neck.  

When his hot lips brushed against her neck and shoulders, an unfamiliar m*an escaped her lips.  

“You’re too warm.”  

“My feelings for you burn even hotter, Madame.”  

He whispered as he pressed her body firmly against his.  

The ticklish sound of his voice near her ear made Therese squirm, but his arousal pressed blatantly against her thigh.  

“…Ah.”  

“I’ve been like this ever since I first saw you earlier.”  

His overly honest confession left Therese at a loss for words.  

When she remained silent, the Duke let out a heated breath, mistaking her quietness for reluctance.  

“You’re the only one in the world who makes me like this… shameless.”  

“Your Grace.”  

“Do you hate me because I’m such a beastly man?”  

Though Jeremy could barely control his excitement, he resolved that if Therese didn’t want this, he would hold back no matter what.  

Looking at his face, which resembled a large dog awaiting its master’s command, Therese found it impossible to reject such a lovable man’s wish.  

“…Ha.”  

Though it wasn’t a situation to laugh about, Therese couldn’t help but chuckle softly.  

Her smile made the Duke’s expression darken, and he pressed his lips to hers.  

This kiss wasn’t as gentle as before—it was rough, like a sudden summer downpour crashing to the ground.  

“You… you truly…”  

When he pulled back, his face looked as though he might cry.  

Rubbing her slightly sore lips with her hand, Therese smiled again. For some reason, she couldn’t stop laughing today.  

“Madame, are you laughing or crying?”  

“Am I crying?”  

When Therese touched her cheek, she felt the warmth of her tears.  

She had thought she was laughing, but it seemed her heart was overflowing.  

No matter how much one tried to hide their feelings, it was impossible to do so completely.  

“I don’t dislike you, Your Grace.”  

On the contrary, she loved him.  

Though she had vowed not to love him, her eyes saw only Jeremy Richard.  

Her whispered confession brought a wave of relief to the Duke’s face.  

“Please don’t cry.”  

His large hand caressed her cheek, and Therese gently nuzzled against his palm.  

“Your Grace, I want to keep dreaming.”  

“….”  

As Therese slowly removed her shirt, Jeremy blinked in disbelief.  

“The night isn’t that long, Your Grace.”  

When she lowered her gaze slightly, the Duke’s eyes finally regained focus.  

“I will do my best for you.”  

Jeremy began kissing her forehead and moved down, covering her entire body with his lips.  

The shower of kisses made Therese’s body tremble.  

When her shoulders hunched with the realization that this might not end with mere kisses, the Duke gently stroked her cheek.  

“I won’t hurt you.”  

“Ha, but…”  

The last time they had dreamed together, Therese had struggled to move for days afterward.  

When the rain of kisses ceased, Therese shook her head again.  

“What if someone hears us?”  

Jeremy glanced around briefly before placing one of his fingers in her mouth.  

“Bite down on my finger.”  

“…?”  

Panting heavily, he looked down at Therese with smoldering eyes.  

Startled, she bit his finger, and Jeremy, holding her slender shoulders, let out a heated breath.  

“I can’t hold back any longer.”  

Jeremy entered her urgently.  

His rough and burning movements made Therese feel as though her body might break apart.  

Gripping his firm shoulders in dizzying fear, their bodies moved in unison.  

“…Hah.”  

The shadows and noise outside the tent faded into oblivion, leaving only the two of them in the world.