“Fainting must be a hobby of yours, Miss Hailey Salmon. I believe I kindly advised you that such tricks wouldn’t work on me.”

“!?”

The sarcastic voice startled her. Hailey’s eyes widened as she spun around to face the intruder.

The Duke had entered the greenhouse and was walking toward her at a leisurely pace.

The sight of him—a darkly clad figure standing amidst the brilliant sunlight and vibrant flowers—was an odd juxtaposition of light and shadow, good and evil. It was so strikingly out of place that Hailey momentarily lost her ability to speak.

When did he return?

Tayton stood in the center of the greenhouse, his gaze scanning the roses, tulips, and lilies before finally settling on Hailey.

“I’d like to remind you that every flower in this estate, down to the last petal, belongs to me,” he said coldly.

“Ah…”

In other words, she shouldn’t pick flowers without his permission.

How petty, childish, and utterly infuriating.

In her heart, Hailey wanted to throw the lily in her hand at the duke’s face and yell, “I don’t need this!”

However, she kept a polite smile on her lips and feigned an embarrassed look.

“My apologies. The fragrance was so nice that I thought it might lift my mood.”

“Hmph.”

Instead of pressing her further, the duke began walking slowly.

As Hailey wondered why he was here at this hour, her gaze unintentionally dropped to the ground. Something at the edge of her vision seemed to move.

“Huh?”

As she lowered her head to take a closer look, something shyly peeked out between the tightly closed lily buds.

“Ah…”

A startled voice escaped her lips. Just as Hailey’s eyes grew wide, a wriggling creature fully revealed itself.

It was an insect, its tiny body covered in soft, fine hairs—a worm with no legs.

“Ahhhh!”

Instinctively, Hailey threw the lily away. Her whole body itched, perhaps from sheer imagination. The thought of the bug crawling down her back made her shudder.

“Ughhh.”

With a sound that was almost a sob, she twisted her body, trying to shake off the lingering creepy sensation. She hopped on the spot as if to rid herself of the imaginary bug.

In the process, she stepped on the hem of her dress and lost her balance. Hailey pitched forward.

“Ahhh!”

She only stopped when her body collided with a solid wall. Her heart pounded wildly. If not for the sudden stop, her face might have hit the ground.

“Hailey Salmon.”

“!”

The ominous voice falling from above made Hailey realize the “wall” she leaned on was, in fact, the duke’s chest.

“Oh…”

Hailey found herself practically hugging Tayton, her cheek resting against his chest. One arm circled his waist, while her other hand pressed against his chest.

The steady thud of his heartbeat echoed in her ears.

Thump, thump.

Through the fabric of his clothes, his chest felt unexpectedly firm. She suddenly recalled the time she had seen him in his undershirt—his body was covered in defined, masculine muscles.

Gulping nervously, Hailey slowly tilted her head upward. Cool silver eyes stared down at her from above.

Their gazes met.

His breath tickled her lashes, and she instinctively held her own.

Amid the rich scent of mixed flowers, an artificial perfume teased her nostrils—a familiar smell she always noticed when near the duke.

“…”

“…”

His long lashes blinked slowly, the silver of his eyes appearing and disappearing as if in a rhythm.

Noticing for the first time how long his lashes were, Hailey couldn’t take her eyes off him. It felt as if time had frozen in that moment.

“Hailey Salmon.”

The stubborn-looking lips parted, and his chilling voice cut through the moment.

Hailey snapped back to her senses and awkwardly tried to straighten herself. But with her dress still caught underfoot, it was no easy feat.

“So, you’ve decided to change tactics now? Are you so desperate to bring me down that you’re willing to collapse on me wherever and whenever? You must be in quite a hurry. But, what a pity—I’ve told you many times already, haven’t I? Hailey Salmon, you’re not my type. So, step aside, will you?”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Hailey finally regained her balance. She quickly stepped back, bowing her head, looking like she wished to disappear. Her pale green eyes glanced up at him nervously, stealing cautious looks.

Tayton raised a gloved hand slowly and plucked the lily stuck to his mask. His voice, now even more menacing, broke the silence.

“Hailey Salmon.”

“I-I’m so sorry, Your Grace! I was just so startled by the bug…”

Hailey quickly lowered her head again in apology. Even as she bowed, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of satisfaction. After all, the lily had smacked him square on the cheek. It was terrifying what unconscious reflexes could accomplish.

Yet, a smirk threatened to creep onto her lips.

Pffft.

She quickly disguised the rising chuckle as a cough, dropping her shoulders in a show of contrition. “Ahem, ahem.”

At that moment, Madam Mastis entered the greenhouse, carrying a tray. Pausing for a moment at the tense atmosphere, she glanced between the duke and Hailey before continuing forward as if nothing had happened.

She approached a table in the greenhouse and began arranging the refreshments she had brought.

Tayton started walking toward the table.

Hailey, attempting to discreetly retreat, froze in place when his voice struck her like an arrow.

“Hailey Salmon.”

“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”

She stopped in her tracks and stood upright, looking at him with sparkling eyes as if ready to take on any command.

Madam Mastis poured tea into the duke’s cup, the sound of liquid softly trickling into porcelain filling the air.

“I was taught that an apology must be offered until the sincerity reaches the other person, wasn’t I?”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

“Then instead of running away like a little mouse, how about apologizing until your sincerity is conveyed?”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Hailey trudged toward the table, dragging her heels like a cow being led to the slaughter.

Despite her unladylike walk, Madam Mastis’ stern gaze shot in her direction, but Hailey ignored it. She didn’t have the energy to care about yet another scolding.

Madam Mastis placed a teacup in front of Hailey as well. A faintly bitter aroma wafted into her nose, and her stomach growled at the sight of the tempting sandwiches on the plate.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t eaten anything since she fainted. Hailey added a generous amount of milk and honey to her tea and reached for the sandwiches.

As if well-practiced, an eloquent apology flowed effortlessly from her lips.

“I sincerely apologize, Your Grace. I was caught off guard when a bug suddenly appeared, and it startled me terribly. I unintentionally behaved rudely. The thought of how confused you must have been nearly chokes me up. I promise to be more careful in the future.”

The duke’s sharp silver gaze landed on Hailey’s right hand, which gripped the sandwich tightly. Despite her claim of being “choked up,” she brought the sandwich to her mouth without a shred of hesitation or remorse.

Hailey bit into the sandwich. It would have been better without the cucumbers, but it was delicious enough to overlook that minor inconvenience.

The warm air of the greenhouse, the fragrances tickling her nose, the beautiful flowers, and the delicious food—all of it was perfect. Well, perfect, except for the unpleasant silver-eyed duke sitting in front of her.

Ah, life can’t have it all. Sometimes you just have to let one thing go.

“Hailey Salmon.”

“Yes.”

At the duke’s call, Hailey blinked her innocent green eyes as if she had never bad-mouthed him in her head just seconds earlier.

The duke frowned faintly, his voice casual but probing. His gaze was fixed not on her but on the fountain scattering water beyond the glass wall.

“Have you been sleeping properly?”

“…Pardon?”

The unexpected question left Hailey dumbfounded. A slice of cucumber from her sandwich fell with a small thud.

“Never mind. Forget I asked,” the duke said with a soft click of his tongue, as though regretting the words. His silvery eyes, which momentarily betrayed a sense of awkwardness, left Hailey blinking in confusion.

Endless sleepless nights had become an ordinary part of Hailey’s life—one she would rather not admit to anyone. They were also a weakness she wanted to keep hidden.

As Hailey tried to figure out how the duke might have guessed, an image of his office window, illuminated late at night, crossed her mind.

Perhaps she wasn’t the only one who had felt a strange sense of kinship watching the light burning late into the night.

An uncomfortable silence stretched out, and the awkward moments ticked by at a snail’s pace.

****