“Um, may I come in?”

Elicity’s violet eyes were different from how they had been during the day when they had been utterly subdued. Though they still wavered, a determined glimmer shone within them.

“Of course. Come in.”

Alex did not know the reason, but he concealed his curiosity and allowed Elicity into the study.

“What brings you here?”

“I have a favor to ask. It’s not a request befitting a duchess, so I hesitated.”

As she continued speaking, Elicity’s cheeks tensed with fear.

Regardless of the reason, Alex did not want Elicity to feel uncomfortable spending time with him. On impulse, he raised his hand to her cheek, intending to soothe her tension.

However, he suddenly recalled how she had pushed his hand away earlier that day. If the same thing happened again, he feared he might crumble like a sandcastle, scattered by the wind.

Certain of this, Alex’s hand froze in midair.

Elicity naturally found his strange reaction puzzling. As she slightly raised an eyebrow, a wave of frustration brushed across Alex’s face like the wind.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Elicity quickly realized why her husband’s hand had halted in the air.

“About earlier… I’m sorry. I was too sensitive, wasn’t I?”

“No, not at all.”

“The truth is, I had a lot on my mind. When I woke up alone this morning, I felt lonely.”

Elicity murmured as she focused her gaze on Alex’s fingertips.

“So, I was wondering… Alex, after spending the night together, could you stay with me in the morning?”

Her voice was barely audible, as soft as a tiny bird’s whisper.

“I heard from Sir Lowen earlier. He said you left the bedroom early because of an important meeting. Even so, I wish we could spend the morning together after the night.”

Finally, Alex understood why Elicity had been in a bad mood all day and why she had rejected his touch earlier.

It wasn’t because of his irredeemable past sins.

He should have felt relieved, yet he couldn’t bring himself to give a positive answer to her request. He had a valid reason.

“That’s…”

In the end, Alex couldn’t finish his sentence. His lips shut like the gates of a fortress.

As he rubbed his jaw with a troubled expression, Elicity’s face gradually changed.

The fearful look vanished without a trace, replaced by a gentle smile in an instant.

It was the artificial mask she had always worn as a duchess before the regression.

“I knew it. It was an unreasonable request.”

Alex found his wife’s serene tone and kind smile unbearably unsettling.

“Elicity, I am the Duke. At times, I have duties that require me to be up before dawn. But when that is not the case, I will be by your side without fail…”

“I understand. That’s why I said it wasn’t a request befitting a duchess.”

Elicity smiled and took a step back. In an instant, a space formed between them.

It was a very small gap, yet to Alex, it felt deeper and wider than the sea.

It was unbearably dreadful. Alex stepped toward Elicity.

“Elicity, I…”

But just as he moved closer, Elicity instinctively stepped back again.

It must have been unconscious. The shock in her expression proved it.

“Elicity?”

“Ah… this is…”

Elicity tried to say something but quickly shut her mouth.

A deathly silence filled the gap between them.

Alex did not know what to say in response to her unmistakable rejection.

Yet, doing nothing was not an option either.

If he stayed still, she would leave the study, and she would never smile at him again.

—Your daughter, your wife…

No.

Once again, the cry from earlier struck the back of his mind, and Alex impulsively closed the distance between them.

Absolutely not.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he embraced Elicity tightly, as if he were a large child afraid of losing his treasured gift.

Startled, Elicity stiffened, but Alex held her even tighter, as if she might vanish at any moment.

Eventually, unable to withstand Alex’s strength, Elicity let out a small gasp from within his arms.

“D-Dear, it hurts.”

“–!”

Only then did Alex come to his senses. He quickly released her.

Elicity’s flushed face came into view, her breath uneven.

Flustered, Alex asked,

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

Her weak voice filled him with self-loathing. Alex’s face twisted in frustration.

“Elicity, I…”

Just as he was about to make an excuse, small hands gently covered his mouth.

Blinking in surprise, Alex saw Elicity smiling faintly.

“Alex, I understand. Don’t worry.”

How could he not worry? As soon as Alex grasped her arms slightly, Elicity did something unexpected.

Her arms, which had been holding his face, now wrapped tightly around his back.

Then, a delicate voice followed.

“I am the Duchess. I understand everything. But you promised to stay by my side on days without meetings, didn’t you?”

“……Yes.”

“Then that’s enough.”

A small hand stroked his back as if to soothe the wavering Alex.

‘Enough?’

No, that wasn’t true.

Elicity had forcibly ended the conversation to stabilize Alex and to quell her own anxiety. His keen instincts as a prosecutor told him that this matter was far from over, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.

The reason Alex had left Elicity alone at dawn was solely for the happiness of the Elicity standing before him and their daughter, Bella. 

This meeting, held in the early hours, was a top-secret affair that could not be spoken of to anyone. What kind of meeting it was, its purpose, and who attended—none of it could be disclosed. The prince had issued a gag order, and many nobles’ lives were at stake.

If he spoke carelessly, the small happiness they had now would surely shatter the great happiness of the future.

Alex hesitated but soon let out a deep sigh and pressed his lips against the crown of Elicity’s head.

“……Alright.”

A small laugh came from against his chest. As she gently stepped out of his embrace, Elicity spoke.

“You seem really busy today. Then, I’ll go to bed.”

“No, I just finished my work. Let’s go to the bedroom together.”

Not wanting to make his wife feel any more uneasy, Alex took Elicity’s hand and headed straight for the door.

Yet, even as they walked together, Elicity kept hesitating. Alex quickly noticed that his wife wanted to say something more.

Just before opening the door, Alex stopped and spoke.

“Elicity, say everything you want to say. Do you have another request?”

“……”

“I can’t grant the one from earlier, but I will try to grant anything else.”

Before Alex could even finish his sentence, Elicity suddenly threw herself into his arms.

Startled, Alex widened his eyes, but then he heard something that made him doubt his own ears.

“Alex, hold me tonight.”

“…What?”

“I don’t mind if you’re not with me in the morning, just… hold me.”

It was the first time his wife had ever expressed a desire for him first.

A strange, aching temptation stirred in his lower abdomen, and before he realized it, Alex had reflexively pushed Elicity away a little more forcefully than intended.

“What did you just say…?”

He tried to ask again, but her lowered gaze and flushed cheeks told him he had heard correctly. As Alex swallowed dryly, Elicity spoke once more.

“Hold me.”

Now that he looked, the slip beneath her robe was… rather troublesome.

It was clearly so thin that one rough brush of his calloused hands might tear it apart.

Even in his flustered state, Alex remained composed and asked the woman in his arms,

“May I ask why?”

“Does a wife need a reason to want her husband?”

“But you…”

“Dear.”

Elicity lifted her gaze just as Alex was about to argue further.

“Do you not want me?”

That was impossible.

Rather than wasting time questioning her, Alex simply pressed his lips against hers.

“–!”

He softly sucked on her lower lip, gently biting and licking at it as if savoring a sweet piece of candy.

Elicity’s body melted into him, surrendering to the dizzying sweetness of the kiss.

As time passed, the once-gentle kiss grew more and more intense.

“Ha.”

Alex exhaled, his eyes darkened with desire as he murmured,

“I want you.”

“……”

“Always. Everywhere. To the point of madness. More than you can ever imagine.”

Elicity’s gaze trembled. Like ripples spreading across the surface of a lake after a stone is thrown.

Seeing that unsteady look, Alex realized why his wife had clung to him so desperately.

Because of him.

Those fragile, wavering amethyst eyes were remnants of the sins he had committed before her regression.

A pang of guilt squeezed his heart, and this time, he kissed her more tenderly.

He stroked the tense nape of her neck, his fingers brushing over the small, flushed ear that had turned bright red.

Elicity shuddered at his gentle caress, a soft, ticklish sound slipping from her lips.

Just as she reached out hesitantly to hold onto his neck, Alex whispered near her ear,

“I love you.”

It was impulsive.

But at the same time, it was inevitable.

His heart was too full to contain this overwhelming love.

He felt Elicity stiffen in his embrace.

Yet Alex didn’t stop and continued to speak.

“I love you.”

His heart, once calm, began racing faster and faster.

Soon, an intoxicating euphoria wrapped around him, filling him with an overwhelming sense of joy.

At that moment, Alex knew with certainty—he had been waiting for this. Longing for this.

Just saying those words, words he had once been too afraid to utter, lifted the heavy weight from his chest.

Of course, no response came.

Only the sound of her breathing, sharp and unsteady, broke the silence as he continued whispering those words against her sensitive skin.

But Alex never expected an answer from her.

Only an omnipotent god could determine whether her response would be genuine or not.

So he simply kept repeating his love for her, over and over again, like a broken clock, as he kissed her again.

“Elicity.”

Whether you love me or not…

“I love you.”