“Madam? You’ve come to see His Grace. He is inside… but why are you just standing there?”

It was Lowen who had opened the door.

At the sound of his voice, a chair scraped roughly against the floor inside the room. It was undoubtedly the sound of her husband standing up. Elicity’s face flushed hot.

Unconsciously avoiding Lowen’s gaze, Elicity stammered.

“I—I was just wondering if he was available to see me. Is he busy?”

“He is never busy for you.”

Speaking with certainty, Lowen quickly stepped aside.

Elicity hesitated for a moment before stepping into the study, feeling as if she were walking into a lion’s den.

After a few steps, she finally saw her husband in the spacious study.

The beast-like man from last night was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a refined and handsome man sat idly against the table.

Then, suddenly, his brow twitched slightly, as if something displeased him.

She soon understood why. Alex waved a hand at the maids who had followed Elicity into the study.

“Leave us. I dislike a crowded study.”

Until recently, Elicity had always kept her maids by her side whenever she spoke with her husband, no matter where they were. Thus, Alex’s words were anything but ordinary.

Before she could question him, the quick-witted maids swiftly exited the room. In no time, there was nothing but silence surrounding Elicity and Alex.

Then, Alex, who had been leaning against the table, straightened his posture. The sound of his shoes scraping against the floor filled the space.

As the memories of the previous night resurfaced, Elicity found herself dropping her gaze.

A voice, tinged with amusement, fell upon her burning nape.

“Elicity, did you sleep well?”

Forcing herself to look up, she was once again confronted with the handsome face of a man who seemed as if he had been sculpted by a master artisan. The polite smile on his lips was so composed that it made her wonder if last night had been nothing more than a dream.

Elicity hesitated slightly before answering.

“Y-yes… And you?”

“I also had a peaceful night. No, a rather enjoyable one.”

“Did you have a hearty breakfast?”

It was a gentle question, but breakfast was the least of Elicity’s concerns.

Not only had he just confirmed that last night was not a dream, but he had also specifically used the word ‘enjoyable.’

Irritated, Elicity raised her head.

“Dear.”

“Yes?”

“About last night. I did pass out, didn’t I?”

Of course, her voice naturally rose. After all, it was only right to shout at the scoundrel who had tormented her with his lips and hands.

At the same time, however, she felt embarrassed. After yelling, she hurriedly glanced at the door and covered her mouth with both hands.

To Alex, his wife’s flustered reaction was irresistibly endearing, making him want to tease her again.

He knew well that such sadistic tendencies belonged to vile men, but he couldn’t help it.

It was all because of her. Because his wife, Elicity, was simply too adorable.

Suppressing the urge to smile, Alex answered,

“To my great regret, yes.”

“‘Regret’?” Elicity frowned. 

“What’s so regrettable about that?”

“It’s only natural, isn’t it?” Alex said smoothly. 

“I couldn’t hold you to the end.”

Gasp.

Elicity sucked in a breath and darted her eyes around the room again.

Her reaction was so much like that of a guilty criminal that Alex couldn’t help but chuckle.

“The door is firmly shut. And the room is well soundproofed, so don’t worry.”

“……”

Elicity glared at her husband, finding his amusement utterly infuriating.

And at the same time, astonishing.

How could he engage in such indecent acts without hesitation and then shamelessly laugh about it now?

After a moment of consideration, she cautiously opened her lips.

“D-Dear.”

“Yes?”

Alex’s response was dry.

“Well… about last night, what we did…”

She started off boldly, but her lower lip quivered slightly.

It was far too embarrassing to say out loud.

It would have been easier if she hadn’t enjoyed it.

But she had. She had surrendered to his every touch, voicing her pleasure without restraint.

Even so, she had to say it.

Resolving herself once more, Elicity gripped her sleeve tightly and spoke.

“The things we did… Of course, I—I can’t say I disliked them.”

“So you did enjoy it after all. I thought as much. That makes me happy.”

A smile spread across Alex’s once indifferent face, and Elicity paled.

“It’s only polite to let people finish speaking!”

“But you did enjoy it.”

“Yes, but my point is that no matter how enjoyable an act may be, it’s something we shouldn’t be doing!”

“How unfortunate.”

Alex stroked his chin, though his face didn’t look the least bit regretful.

“May I ask why?”

“Because we are high-ranking nobles.”

“……”

“As nobles of our status, we must uphold a certain decorum in our relationship. Haven’t we lived accordingly all this time? As a Duke and Duchess, we must maintain dignity in the eyes of others.”

Worried that the servants outside might overhear, Elicity lowered her voice.

On the other hand, Alex was unfazed.

“Dignity, you say.”

“Yes.”

“Elicity.”

Alex slowly drew out the last syllable of her name before firmly grasping his wife’s slender waist with his strong arms. Even through the thick fabric, Elicity could feel the solid strength of the man’s arms, startling her into pushing Alex away. Of course, he didn’t budge so easily.

Feeling flustered, Elicity whispered softly within his embrace.

“Alex. What are you doing? This is your study.”

“Yes, a study where no one else is present.”

“But outside the door, there are knights and attendants.”

“I ordered them to step back several meters when you arrived.”

“Why on earth…?”

“Why do you think?”

Alex pulled Elicity’s waist even closer before immediately burying his face in the nape of her neck. Still shy, Elicity’s body stiffened. Meanwhile, Alex, noticing how tightly she had wrapped her collar around her neck today, murmured in amusement.

“You’ve covered your neck so thoroughly. Any particular reason?”

“Well, that’s because yesterday, you…”

“It must be because I left deep marks. That was intentional.”

Cutting her off mid-sentence, Alex pressed his nose against her nape, inhaling her scent. It was an inexplicably enchanting fragrance—one he never tired of.

While her husband was lost in savoring the moment, Elicity, on the other hand, struggled in his arms. If his aide were to knock on the door like last time, she wouldn’t be able to bear the embarrassment.

Sensing her resistance, Alex finally released her. But he didn’t step away entirely. Instead, he trailed a finger along her delicate jawline before swiftly kissing the tip of her chin.

Elicity gasped.

That was the spark.

Alex gradually pressed her against the wall, closing the distance between them. Even through the layers of fabric, she could feel the scorching heat and the steely firmness of his body.

At that moment, memories of the previous night came flooding back with vivid clarity.

“D-Dear, please mind your dignity.”

“My lady, you keep insisting on dignity… but when we’re alone, does it really matter? Who is there to see?”

“They say birds hear what is said in the day, and mice hear what is said at night.”

“In that case, you just need to stay silent.”

Elicity parted her lips to protest once more, but she couldn’t.

Because he kissed her.

She struggled again, but as Alex nibbled on her lower lip and gently grasped her br*ast over her clothing, she trembled and collapsed into him.

His voice echoed in her ears.

—It was enjoyable, wasn’t it?

‘No. I’m not the kind of woman who enjoys such things.’

Blushing deeply as she lay against his chest, Elicity shook her head internally.

But in reality, all she could do was desperately try to keep her weakened legs from giving out.

As she nearly collapsed, Alex swiftly caught her and guided her hands around his neck. His touch as he caressed her waist sent a shiver of pleasure through her.

“We could do it here as well… but that would still be too shocking for you.”

“W-What…?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Alex gave a cryptic smile before effortlessly lifting Elicity into his arms and placing her on the sofa. As she settled down, she felt a strange tingling sensation between her legs, causing her to bite her lip.

‘Good heavens…’

Alex, noticing her reaction, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before lightly rubbing her shoulders.

“To conclude our discussion, let’s not let outdated etiquette deprive us of our pleasure. Look back at the past—were we ever happy in the bedroom following those rigid rules?”

“Well…”

Elicity hesitated, lifting her head abruptly.

No matter what, she couldn’t bring herself to say that she had been happy.

Alex, tracing her silent lips with his fingers, continued.

“As you well know, most noblemen keep mistresses. The same goes for many noblewomen. Even high-ranking nobles like us have the right to enjoy ourselves. After all, aren’t humans creatures of desire?”

“……”

“Or perhaps… is it that you simply don’t want me? Do you need another man?”

“Of course not!”

Elicity sprang up in shock. But her strength had already drained, and she ended up collapsing back onto the sofa.

Seeing her flustered state, Alex chuckled and slid closer, gently stroking her cheek. Her fair skin flushed a warm shade of peach.

“That’s a relief. If you had, I would have torn him to pieces.”