The morning sun was rising above the horizon. As the crimson light seeped through the curtains and settled upon Elicity’s pale, bare skin, Alex hurriedly pulled the blanket over his wife. Even the god of the sun could not be allowed to see her nakedness.

Her body, lying on the bed, belonged solely to him, just as he belonged only to Elicity.

“……”

Only when the soft cotton blanket covered her fair shoulders did he feel at ease. Alex let out a short sigh and quietly gazed at the sleeping Elicity.

His eyes naturally drifted to the red marks peeking out from beneath the blanket on her nape. The sight brought back memories of last night—when his wife had burned with passion in his arms.

—Dear, ah! Ah…!

His intimacy with Elicity last night had been completely different from before his regression.
When he released his seed deep inside her, she did not resist; instead, she let out cries of pleasure.

—Ahh…! Ah, Alex!!

She had called his name over and over, spreading her legs for him, scratching his back with her nails. If he were to compare it to the cold, lonely nights before his regression, his relationship with his wife after returning was, undeniably, a success.

Yes, in that regard at least.

—In Madonia, it is not right for a wife to refuse her husband.

The words she had spoken before their union resurfaced in Alex’s mind, and his expression hardened.

A man who always wore a composed mask was revealing his true feelings—an expression even Elicity rarely saw.

‘So, you accepted me because rejecting me would have been improper in Madonia?’

Resentment churned in his throat but quickly dissipated.

Alex turned his gaze toward his sleeping wife.

Had she only accepted him out of duty, because noblewomen in Madonia were expected to do so?

The moment he asked himself, the answer surfaced in his heart—an answer he could not deny.

‘It’s possible.’

Elicity adored her daughter, Bella, and Bella longed for a harmonious family.

Accepting a husband she neither particularly disliked nor loved might not have been difficult for her.

Besides, last night, Elicity had experienced the pleasures of intimacy for the first time in her life. No human could reject such overwhelming ecstasy.

In other words, she had not refused him because of pleasure and duty— But perhaps not out of love.

The realization made Alex feel unbearable.

His heart pounded violently, nausea rising in his chest. A suffocating weight pressed down on him as if a boulder had settled over his lungs.

“…Damn it.”

Alex ran a rough hand over his face. He had no idea how much longer he could endure these tormenting emotions.

Before his wife, he was as fragile as a sandcastle—one small crack, and he would crumble.

That was why he resented her for making him feel this miserable.

Yet, he could not leave her.

Not because of pleasure.

But because the usually composed and guarded Elicity would unravel in his arms, needing him, at least in bed.

Because, in those moments, she called his name and welcomed him with passion.

Because those moments were intoxicatingly sweet—Even if, once they ended, he felt like he had plunged into hell.

Before his regression and even now, the weight of love remained unbalanced.

With a bitter smile, Alex pressed a soft kiss to Elicity’s forehead.

“…I want to say that I love you, but I’m afraid.”

The words he had never spoken finally slipped out.

“I’m afraid you won’t answer. Or that you’ll lie if you do. I… I’m too afraid.”

He gently caressed Elicity’s cheek.

For a long time, Alex sat on the bed, simply watching her. When the cool dawn air began to chill his body, he finally lay back down beside her.

Holding her tightly in his arms, he whispered softly,

“…Am I allowed to love you?”

His unspoken words drifted into the air like mist, dissolving into nothingness.

***

A warm ray of sunlight seeped through her closed eyelids.

Because of last night, her body felt heavy, like a lump of cotton, but unlike before, Elicity knew exactly what she had to do today.

It was the second day of the banquet. The honored guests had yet to leave, so as the duchess, she could not afford to be idle.

Even so, she struggled to rise from the warmth of the blanket.

She was completely bare, not a thread of clothing on her body, and she knew her husband must still be lying beside her.

She felt embarrassed and shy.

But judging from last night, she knew such occurrences would become frequent from now on.

After fidgeting beneath the cozy blanket for a while, Elicity finally gathered her resolve and hesitantly spoke.

“D-Dear. May I use the bath first?”

No answer came.

Elicity assumed that, in the bright morning light, her husband must be just as bashful as she was. So she spoke again, more assured this time.

“Or you can go first. Since Olivia hasn’t come to wake me yet, it must still be early.”

Still, there was no response.

Only then did she realize—The person who should have greeted her this morning was no longer there.

‘No way…’

No. That couldn’t be.

She tried to deny reality, but the silence confirmed the truth.

Unconsciously, Elicity threw off the blanket and bolted upright.

Under the bright sunlight, her n*ked body was exposed, yet she felt no shame. The shock of realizing that her husband, with whom she had shared a bed for the first time in a long while, had not stayed to greet the morning with her was far greater.

Of course, thinking logically, it was understandable. Alex was a duke with many responsibilities and usually slept no more than four hours. Besides, there was no rule stating that they had to wake up together.

However, based on his recent words and actions, Elicity had naturally assumed that she would be waking up with her husband this morning.

‘…But he left me behind and left?’

A night filled with pleasure in utter darkness. A cold morning met in lonely brilliance under the radiant sun.

Elicity knew all too well where such situations occurred and to what kind of people.

“…No. He must just be busy. It was like this before the regression too.”

Elicity quietly denied her thoughts and wrapped herself in the blanket again. However, even the thick cotton quilt could not keep out the piercing chill of the early morning air.

As the cold settled on her pale skin, her body trembled involuntarily.

***

No matter how troubled her heart was, Elicity was the duchess. She quickly changed into proper attire and, assisted by her maids, began preparing for the second day of the banquet.

First, Elicity led the noble guests who had finished their breakfast to the lake of the ducal estate.

As expected, seeing the fish teeming in the water, the men eagerly expressed their desire to fish. In response, Elicity arranged for fishing rods and boats to be prepared.

For the ladies who had no interest in fishing, she had picnic mats spread out along the lakeshore.

When the chef of the ducal estate placed artistic finger foods, crafted with utmost dedication, alongside fresh milk collected that very morning on the foldable tables, smiles blossomed on the faces of the elderly noblewomen.

“What a truly beautiful lake.”

Lorraine, whom Elicity had practically begged to stay, was a stunning beauty with water-colored hair and pale green eyes.

Lorraine marveled at the lake before her eyes, then gasped again as Olivia poured espresso over her milk.

“Is this a latte?”

“Yes. Mixing it with milk makes the bitterness less pronounced. I prepared it for you, knowing that you don’t enjoy bitter coffee.”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Lorraine picked up her cup. She still did not understand why the duchess was being so kind to her.

On the other hand, Elicity felt only gratitude. She studied Lorraine carefully before speaking in a composed tone.

“How was the ball last night, Miss Lorraine?”

It wasn’t that Lorraine never had the chance to dress up, but this time, in her glamorous attire, it was evident that many young men’s gazes were fixed upon her.

Lorraine, who had also noticed this, pulled her velvet hat down a little further over her face.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Grace. Thanks to you, my mother and younger siblings were able to enjoy themselves comfortably.”

“The banquet continues until tomorrow. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest. And if you find a suitable gentleman, be sure to observe him well. I’ll be happy to assist you.”

Lorraine’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

Elicity found her reaction utterly endearing.

Although her daughter Bella was currently ten years old, before the regression, Bella had been around thirty—just about Lorraine’s age.

Feeling as if she were watching her own daughter, Elicity smiled warmly.

“I noticed yesterday that while your younger siblings were moving around freely with their chaperones, you remained still. I’m sorry if you felt left out.”

“Oh, please don’t say that. You were the hostess of the banquet, Your Grace. It was only natural for you to move about the hall, greeting your esteemed guests. And as for my marriage prospects, please don’t trouble yourself. I no longer have any intention of getting married.”

Lorraine was sincere in her words.

In the Kingdom of Madonia, a woman’s ideal marriageable age ranged from eighteen to twenty-three. At this point, searching for an appropriate match, getting engaged, and marrying seemed too late for her.

Of course, if she truly wanted to, she could still find a suitable partner. However, Lorraine had three younger siblings to consider.

By the grace of the gods, her sisters were far more feminine and beautiful than she was.

Thus, when Lorraine passed the age of twenty-five, she concluded that the best course of action for the Fertel family was for her to accumulate a dowry so that her sisters could marry into good households.

“…Miss Lorraine.”

As the duchess, Elicity understood that Lorraine’s decision was a rational one.

However, as a fellow woman of Madonia and as a mother to a daughter, she could not help but feel heartache.

She struggled to find the right words of comfort and instead fidgeted with the handle of her teacup.

Just then—

“Mom!”

A youthful voice rang out from below, startling both women.