“When you were 8 years old.”

“What? Eight? Not eighteen?”

“Eight years old. It was the first tea party the Princess hosted, inviting noble children her age. The location was the greenhouse in the Rose Garden of the Royal Princess’s Palace. The exact date was Kingdom Year 622…”

Whether from Edmund’s breath tickling her nape or from shock at him rattling off details like he’d been waiting for this, goosebumps rose faintly on the back of her neck. Olivia shook her head, looking stunned.

“That’s impossible. You’re saying Edmund was there? I didn’t see you.”

“I was right next to you.”

Edmund whispered while grazing her neckline with his lips. He, who had always maintained a certain distance with kindness and courtesy, now clung to her endlessly, seemingly having torn down every wall between them.

“You even held my hand.”

Olivia endured the strange sensations rising within her and searched her memory. Nothing else came to mind. Her childhood memories of attending the royal tea party were fragmentary.

Being so extremely nervous she couldn’t eat any of the sumptuous desserts before her. Barely moistening her parched lips with a few sips of tea. And consequently getting indigestion.

Naturally, she didn’t remember the faces of those present. She couldn’t even clearly recall whether she’d conversed with the Princess.

Ah, come to think of it, there was one more thing she remembered.

The armrest of the chair she’d anxiously gripped with her sweaty hands had been unusually warm and soft. At the time, she’d thought even the chairs at the royal palace were special, but that actually wasn’t the armrest…

“I’ve known you since then, and I’ve known the warmth of your hand.”

Edmund’s hand crawled up like a snake and grasped Olivia’s. Finally removing his lips from the vicinity of her neck, he met her gaze and added plainly.

“It was love at first sight.”

“I… don’t remember seeing Edmund then.”

“It seemed that way. We met several times at banquets after that, but you never once looked my way. Never. If not for the arranged marriage, the seat beside you wouldn’t have been mine.”

Thorns suddenly sprouted in Edmund’s gentle tone. Though she couldn’t tell which occasion he meant, Olivia felt wronged. 

Even if their remembered first meetings differed, Olivia had also fallen for Edmund at first sight. Since learning of Edmund’s existence, she’d never failed to pay attention to him. She simply hadn’t been able to approach him closely due to shyness.

But to think she wasn’t the only one who’d fallen at first sight…

“So, the Eve in your letter is me…”

I love you. 

The letter had clearly said that. Edmund loved her.

Conviction finally settled over that unbelievable sentence. Her chest swelled so much she could barely breathe. Olivia asked in a trembling voice, taking short breaths.

“Why didn’t you say anything all this time? I didn’t know and thought you had feelings for another woman!”

As she continued speaking, remembering all her mental anguish, Olivia choked up without realizing it.

“You can’t imagine how I felt when I saw that letter.”

“I didn’t know you’d misunderstand. I couldn’t possibly write such a letter to anyone else.”

Edmund burrowed into her embrace, clinging to her. Olivia naturally stroked his soft hair while grumbling.

“How would I know that? Unless you’d given me the letter directly.”

“I thought it would be better to make it seem like coincidence.”

“Wait, does that mean you deliberately left the letter there for me to see?”

Edmund admitted it with silence. At this shocking truth, Olivia unconsciously grabbed Edmund’s hair and yanked. He laughed lowly and docilely let himself be led by her touch.

“Edmund, that’s underhanded!”

“I didn’t want to burden you. This marriage came about through my coercion—I couldn’t force your heart too.”

“How is the marriage your coercion? We strategically entered a contract marriage for the business interests of both families…”

Edmund’s gaze, which had been steadily watching Olivia, wavered for a moment. From just that small tremor, Olivia gained a lightning-bolt realization.

“No way! Don’t tell me our marriage alliance was unnecessary?”

“…Even so, that doesn’t make our marriage meaningless.”

“That’s not what’s important. Why on earth did you lie like that?”

“I needed justification that you absolutely couldn’t refuse and could easily accept this marriage.”

Edmund weakly leaned his face against her shoulder.

“My love couldn’t be that justification.”

“…”

“…Are you disappointed in me?”

Staring blankly at the deflated Edmund, Olivia couldn’t say anything. Not because she was disappointed in Edmund. It was because she understood his heart perfectly.

In truth, the person most delighted by this fraudulent contract marriage Edmund had concocted was Olivia. Hadn’t she readily agreed even with faint doubts?

Moreover, Olivia was the same in not confessing her feelings directly. Of course, unlike Edmund’s consideration for the other’s feelings, she’d been purely a coward.

Olivia somewhat shamelessly considered that his and her behavioral patterns weren’t so different. Ultimately, the essence of all those actions was their feelings for each other—love.

That was what mattered enough to cover all misunderstandings and small lies.

Edmund loves her!

A perfectly refined sentence finally formed in her mind. Olivia gazed at Edmund with fresh eyes. 

He looked up at the silent Olivia with anxious eyes, then hesitantly tried to pull away their touching bodies.

Olivia urgently caught Edmund’s slowly retreating face. Then she pressed her lips to his smooth cheek first—smooch. It was a bold contact she’d always wanted to try but never had the courage to attempt.

“…Olivia?”

Edmund’s face stiffened like someone who’d been slapped.

“Edmund. Do you know why I asked the priest about breaking the Divine Oath?”

“That’s… because you wanted to break the Divine Oath.”

“Right. After sneaking a look at Edmund’s letter, I thought you’d broken the contract.”

Olivia gently stroked Edmund’s rigid cheek, her eyes curving softly.

“I was very worried something might happen to you. You didn’t know, did you?”

Whether he’d realized what Olivia wanted to say, Edmund’s frozen expression softened.

“You also don’t know that I accepted this marriage with great joy, do you?”

“…I can’t believe it.”

“I also fell for Edmund at first sight. Of course, I don’t remember our first meeting. But the size of feelings isn’t proportional to time. My feelings are probably bigger than yours.”

“Now that I truly cannot believe. That’s impossible.”

When Edmund laughed lowly with a rumble in his throat, Olivia bristled. She couldn’t tolerate anyone belittling her love, not even Edmund.

“I guarantee it. Even when I misunderstood that Edmund loved someone else, I kept liking you.”

“Then you won’t run away from me? You’ll stay by my side forever?”

“That’s actually my dream.”

A faint shadow of disbelief still remained on Edmund’s face. A desire to be acknowledged somehow surged up. Olivia spoke boldly.

“We can add a clause to the Divine Oath if you want.”

Edmund immediately frowned.

“Enough with the Divine Oath. Thinking about how I worried myself sick believing the oath had harmed your health…”

Edmund shuddered like he didn’t even want to think about it.

“I already regretted making the Divine Oath with you because of my greed and foolishness.”

Edmund’s complexion darkened with guilt. He seemed to have completely forgotten that Olivia had also agreed to the Divine Oath.

Olivia stroked his cheek soothingly.

“I told you before. I don’t mind because there’s no reason to break the oath. Then and now, it’s all sincere.”

Though the Divine Oath had binding force, it only constrained actions with life as collateral—it couldn’t control a person’s heart.

Olivia wished she could take out her heart and show it to Edmund if only she could. Gazing at Edmund docilely leaning his face into her hand, Olivia decided to express her feelings another way instead. She pressed her lips firmly against his plump ones.

She even stuck out her tongue slightly, but couldn’t quite push between his lips and hastily pulled her head back.

“E-even doing this… you still don’t believe me?”

She deliberately tried to open her eyes boldly, but couldn’t hide her trembling voice and flushed face. Her heart pounded just like when they’d first kissed on their wedding day.

Edmund, who had been frozen in a daze, belatedly pulled Olivia into his embrace. His arms, where she could hide her face, fit perfectly like they were made for her.

Olivia wrapped her arms around his waist and fully enjoyed being held by him. The warm heat, sweet body scent, tumultuous heartbeat, and passionate breathing. Every small element of Edmund, whom she loved, made her tremble.

Just when Olivia was deeply immersed in blissful sentiment, Edmund’s touch, which had been plainly stroking her lower back, grew increasingly sticky. It was a touch with clearly impure intentions.

“Edmund…?”

Olivia murmured without lifting her head from Edmund’s embrace. Edmund whispered sweetly in her ear.

“Isn’t it my turn to show you my feelings?”

The implication in his suggestive voice was blatant enough to understand immediately.

Startled, Olivia escaped from his embrace. Her waist still ached from the aftermath of their lovemaking just hours ago. Between her legs also stung terribly. 

She had no confidence she could handle Edmund’s stamina. Olivia pretended not to hear his words and subtly averted her gaze.

“I’ve always been sincere with you too.”

Edmund’s gentle voice turned Olivia’s eyes back. His handsome face, which she could never get used to no matter how much she looked, conquered Olivia in one fell swoop.

Though she couldn’t shake the feeling of being had somehow, there was no way Olivia could refuse Edmund. Olivia gladly accepted Edmund’s feelings, which matched her own.

fin.