“So if you ever have any concerns, feel free to consult me. I always welcome counseling for the healer who will look after my dear Bibi. Oh, and I maintain strict confidentiality, so don’t worry.”

Olivia had never had problems with Alois that required someone else’s counseling, so she was about to nod politely when she hesitated. Come to think of it, there was indeed a problem. Especially these days.

“Th-this isn’t about me, but would you listen to a fr-friend’s story?”

“Hm? A friend? Ah, aah! Of course.”

Viola seemed to quickly grasp something and smiled, leaning slightly forward. Despite being alone in the room, Olivia lowered her voice and carefully opened her mouth.

“My friend’s lover is…… very fearful.”

“Oh…… Your friend is troubled because her lover is a coward?”

Viola showed an ambiguous reaction, seeming somewhat deflated. Above all, even having heard it directly, she found it hard to imagine. The duke, of all people, being a coward? She had reasonable suspicions that the man might be putting on some act in front of Olivia.

“So my friend was recently injured quite badly, you know? It absolutely wasn’t his intention, and it was unavoidable! The lover caused my friend to get hurt, and since then, he’s been treating her too cautiously, avoiding intimacy, and constantly worrying, which troubles her.”

“She was injured? Hmm, that could indeed be problematic……”

Viola glanced at Olivia’s arm in its splint. She had also heard rumors that the duke’s lover had made a great sacrifice to break his curse, and it seemed the rumors had some basis in fact. Having more affinity for Olivia than the duke, Viola carefully chose her words.

“If a lover caused an injury, I’d think it might be dangerous too…… Is your friend really okay with it?”

“Ah, well, I can’t explain in detail, but it was truly an unavoidable accident! She thinks it will absolutely never happen again. I, I mean, my friend is convinced of that, but her lover seems to not trust himself……”

Understanding that there must have been truly unavoidable circumstances based on her explanation, Viola withdrew her concerns. Instead, focusing on solving her problem, she offered the most fundamental answer first.

“In such a case, wouldn’t waiting solve it? As you said, if such incidents won’t happen again in the future, her lover should gradually learn to trust himself.”

“That’s true, but……”

The answer wasn’t much different from what Seron had said earlier.

‘So time is the answer after all?’

But if possible, Olivia wanted to make Alois feel comfortable as quickly as possible. Simply put, that was the only way to resolve her own overwhelming s*xual frustration right now, and more complexly, despite trying to ignore it, the guilt she read in Alois’s gaze made her uncomfortable.

“But it hurts more than I expected when the person I love keeps feeling sorry while looking at me.”

Muttering gloomily, she didn’t even notice that she had inadvertently referred to her “friend” as “I.” Watching her genuinely upset expression, Viola clicked her tongue briefly.

‘She’s almost too good for the duke?’

The more they talked, the stronger Viola felt that Olivia was too precious for the duke, but knowing that interfering in others’ love affairs never leads to good results, she wisely chose a different response.

“If you want a quick solution, there might be a more extreme method.”

“What kind of method?”

“The problem is that the man himself lacks confidence, right? Anxiety has no substance after all. Even after endless worrying, anxiety can instantly disappear with just one piece of evidence proving it wrong.”

“Aha?”

“Create a situation similar to the traumatic one, and let him directly experience that this time is completely different. Wouldn’t that solve it faster? Especially if physically causing injury is the issue, providing a physical barrier to prevent that might actually ease his mind……”

Olivia’s head nodded vigorously. True to her reputation for good counseling, the more she listened, the more plausible Viola’s method seemed. Moreover, it was an excellent strategy that could solve both current problems at once.

Until the sky turned red, the two women continued their long conversation in whispers.

After receiving Viola’s full support, Olivia saw her off and then called for Seron with a solemn expression.

“Your conversation lasted longer than expected?”

“Yes. She seems like a nice person. The conversation was enjoyable too.”

“I’m glad you had a pleasant time. Shall we return now?”

Seron, who naturally intended to take her back to the government office where Alois was, was surprised when she firmly shook her head.

“I think it would be better for me to return to the mansion early today. Please tell Lord Alois that I’m absolutely not sick or tired, and I’m recovering very well with no strain whatsoever.”

Seeing her unusually serious expression, Seron had many questions but quietly closed his mouth and simply nodded as instructed.

* * *

Alois, who had been working overtime for several days due to an increased workload, massaged his stiff neck as he got out of the carriage. This morning, he had left the mansion with Olivia and thought they would return home together after a long time, but she had already gone back to the mansion, leaving him alone again today.

Though he missed spending time with her, he had no major complaints about her resting comfortably at the mansion, especially since her body was just returning to normal.

“What’s this?”

“Lady Olivia asked me to give this to you when you returned, Your Grace.”

The chief manager, who was reporting on events at the mansion before Alois left work, handed him a letter. After dismissing all unnecessary servants from the house, Alois examined the letter.

“It doesn’t seem like a special day…”

Once he started thinking it strange, suddenly everything seemed suspicious. Not only was the letter unusual, but the fact that she had asked the butler to deliver it rather than giving it to him directly, and that he hadn’t yet seen Olivia at the mansion, bothered him.

“Could something have happened?”

About to rush out of the study with ominous thoughts, Alois decided to check the letter that had arrived for him first. Prepared even for a threatening letter, he was relieved to see it was indeed Olivia’s handwriting.

The letter instructed him to come to the residence  in the forest where they first met. Without delay, Alois grabbed his coat and left the room. He wanted to confirm with his own eyes that she was safe, so his steps naturally quickened.

Though it was quite a distance by carriage, Alois rode his horse himself and arrived at the forest faster than most would. He headed for the duke’s residence. From a distance, he could see the flickering light in the mansion windows.

‘She seems to be here.’

With his urgency gone and his sense of relief restored, Alois strode into the mansion. It surprised him that this place, where he had endured so much time in despair and pain, now evoked a sense of nostalgia. The memories with Olivia that had overlaid his suffering had somehow soothed and healed his wounds.

Alois turned the doorknob without hesitation as he headed toward the bedroom where the light had been flickering.

“Livi?”

Though it had appeared so bright when seen from the dark forest, once he entered the room, it was actually dim. The soft yellow light and quietly burning scented candles created a strangely calming yet dreamlike atmosphere.

Olivia, who had been lighting candles next to the bed draped with lace curtains, turned around at the sound of Alois’s voice.

“You’re here?”

She welcomed Alois with a delighted voice, running into his arms. For someone who had summoned him to the forest mansion with a mysterious letter, Olivia didn’t seem any different from usual.

If there was any difference, it might be that she was wearing an exceptionally revealing nightgown that showed all her body’s curves, and she wore a mysterious smile.

As soon as she nestled into his arms, Alois felt a wave of heat and tried to step back, but Olivia had already firmly wrapped her arms around his waist and wouldn’t let go.

“Your body condition still……”

“That’s just an excuse, isn’t it? You know I’m getting this brace removed in a few days! Even if I do some intense exercise now, nothing dangerous will happen to me.”

“……”

“You’re worried, right? That you might hurt me again if you get excited.”

Struck at his core, Alois closed his mouth without answering. She always had a way of seeing through to his shameful parts that he deliberately didn’t mention, and blocking his attempts to escape. While that was a brilliant and lovable quality, it sometimes made him feel embarrassed like this.

“I’ve told you so many times that it wasn’t your fault because you were unconscious. Do you still feel sorry for me?”

“……It’s like you’ve been inside my mind.”

“Well, you keep giving me that ‘I’m so sorry’ look whenever you see me. How could I not know?”

Grumbling softly, she rubbed her head against Alois’s chest as if throwing a tantrum. Alois, who was forced into abstinence just like Olivia, felt momentarily dizzy from the intensified fragrance as her hair swayed. Though he sensed he should distance himself even slightly, she showed no intention of loosening her tightly embracing arms.

“So thanks to you, I’ve unintentionally become sexually frustrated, which makes your fault enormous, Your Grace.”

Hearing her tone suggest she was more dissatisfied with being kept chastely in bed for weeks than with being injured, Alois frowned and lifted her chin.

“You need to value your body more. Do you know how many times you’ve nearly died since getting involved with me?”

“That’s why we went through so much trouble to remove the curse that caused all those situations, so why are you still worried?”

“……”