He added one more thing.

“Very much so.”

Last time, it was broad daylight in an open space. Now, it was a dark night in a closed bedroom.

There was nowhere to run. Her vision went white.

No matter where she looked, Rublier was there. Even if she turned her gaze, it was no use. His eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, hair falling over his face, prominent Adam’s apple, shoulders, arms, and well-defined hands all came into view one after another.

His presence was overwhelming.

Trying to escape the weight of it, she turned her head this way and that, only to meet Rublier’s gaze again. Satin, who was hastily about to avert her eyes, was suddenly startled.

Oh, were his eyes always this color…?

There was a hint of blue mixed in the dark irises. She hadn’t noticed until now because she had never looked this closely. She had always thought his eyes were just dark, but up close, they were a complex color.

Trying to avoid his face, she inadvertently found herself drawn into his gaze. Now, she couldn’t even close her eyes. Afraid it would look even stranger, she instead forced herself to keep them open.

She looked up at Rublier with wary eyes. Even though her eyes were stinging, she didn’t blink. She couldn’t predict what might happen in the brief moment she closed them.

They were already close enough.

Since they were close, he wouldn’t come any closer.

That’s what she thought, but Rublier betrayed her expectations.

Her dress rustled. Her legs, which hung off the edge of the bed, were trapped between Rublier’s legs.

Satin stiffened.

She was completely trapped. There was no way out. Not just her sight, but her hearing, smell, and touch were all dominated by Rublier. It felt like her entire body was bound. Even though there was no physical restraint, his gaze and presence were enough to bind her.

Her breathing became labored.

Rublier leaned in closer, closing the remaining distance between them. Shadows fell over his face. Being so close, she could no longer distinguish the dreamy color of his eyes.

On the other hand, the contours of his face became even more distinct. His eyes were sharply angled, his nose prominent. His eyebrows were clear. His elegantly high cheekbones, lips that often curved upwards, and a firm jawline stood out even more in the shadows.

“Sure, we don’t know what will happen in three months. But for now, we are married.”

Rublier whispered.

“We are married, Satin.”

Well… they were married. They had gotten married, but…

Was this how a trapped prey felt? Her breath tightened. She was dizzy. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.

“I want to touch you and hold you. Is it strange for a husband to desire his wife? Do you think it’s wrong?”

His deepened voice fell dizzyingly.

Satin couldn’t respond. Rublier lifted a hand and slowly stroked her face with his fingertips.

His large hand covered her cheek, jaw, and chin all at once. The hand that lifted her chin to make their faces meet was surprisingly gentle, but the result was not gentle at all.

Her breath had stopped earlier. It felt like if she breathed, they would touch. Satin instinctively felt that if she didn’t stop him now, she didn’t know how far things would go.

She also realized she wasn’t prepared for this.

But she couldn’t think of a way to escape. His declaration that he was willing to try, his assertion of their responsibilities as a couple, the threat of being blamed for the divorce, and the overwhelming atmosphere all mixed together in a confusing mess.

“You try to live according to a future that hasn’t happened yet. You act like this marriage means nothing, like a traveler who will soon leave. You think you can just lock your traces in this box and run away when the time comes.”

Each syllable he softly uttered was clear. Her shoulders shrank involuntarily.

His thumb touched Satin’s lips. The warmth of his touch was deep. It was hot. His thumb slowly traced the line of her lower lip. Her lips felt as if they were burning, even though they shouldn’t. When his finger gently pulled at the plumpest part in the center, Satin realized she had been biting that tender skin with her teeth.

The pain finally registered. Satin frowned. It stung. She must have been extremely tense.

“Satin, I’m a capable knight. I’m confident in tracking and capturing. We can bet on who will win this game of hide-and-seek.”

As he rubbed the bite mark on her lip to soothe it, Rublier spoke.

It sounded almost like a declaration of war. Perhaps it was a warning.

After what felt like an eternity, or perhaps only a brief moment, Rublier, who had been staring intently at Satin’s face, slowly removed his hand from her lips.

The bed, which had tilted slightly under his weight, regained its balance.

“Good night, Satin.”

Leaving those casual words, Rublier turned his body. He walked away at an unhurried pace.

Thud. The door closed quietly. The sound of his footsteps receded.

Her breath, which she had been holding back, burst out belatedly. Satin sat up. She gasped for air. As fresh air filled her lungs, she felt dizzy. Her whole body pulsed with a thumping heartbeat.

“…What just happened…?”

She was utterly bewildered. She couldn’t think straight.

Satin gently touched her lips with her hand. She could still feel the warmth from where his hand had touched. Perhaps that’s why her lips felt excessively hot, and her hand unusually cold. It was a strange feeling.

Good night?

After doing this, he said good night?

“We weren’t, this kind of relationship…?”

Her words, directed at no one, echoed in the air.

What kind of relationship did we have?

Satin tried to recall the memories she had been trying to forget. Although it had been a long time, the past she had momentarily forgotten quickly came back to life vividly.

When she was twelve. Before the winter academic festival, Gjorn had been extremely nervous. Satin had never seen Gjorn so pale. He was always gentle, soft, and smiling, but now he was anxious and scared, not knowing what to do all day.

The academic festival’s presentations were exhibitions of academic achievements, where each person presented their part, but some physical education classes had grades displayed. The most famous event, the swordsmanship tournament, was a one-on-one knockout competition. The students’ skills were publicly displayed in front of an audience.

“Satin, what should I do? …I’m in the finals. What should I do?”

Gjorn, who was the typical bookworm, had first picked up a sword after entering the academy. He had been learning for just a year. He didn’t like the class, so his progress was slow. His opponent was Rublier, who had started wielding a sword at five and had shown innate talent.

It was no wonder Gjorn was trembling. Even Satin hadn’t expected this outcome. She had advised Gjorn to lose early in the tournament. To get out of the troublesome match early and enjoy the rest of the festival.

There were many students in their grade who were better than Gjorn. Most of the students were probably better at swordsmanship. But the problem was the ‘Sel’ of Sel Wio.

None of the students without the middle name proving their guardian family status dared to challenge Gjorn’s clumsy sword. They let themselves be poked, crushed, and hit, then declared surrender.

On one side, Rublier advanced steadily with his real skills, while on the other side, Gjorn was being forced through due to his family’s reputation. In the end, the names of the two stood side by side at the top. It was a match between guardian families.

Satin had a headache.

Gjorn wasn’t on bad terms with Rublier like Satin was. In fact, his naturally gentle personality had mediated between Satin and Rublier, and they had become friends. As a friend, Gjorn knew better than anyone.

If they fought with their real skills, Gjorn would be humiliated on the stage of the academic festival. Normally, Gjorn wouldn’t have been surprised to be eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

“…Maybe you could win?”

Satin made a ridiculous suggestion. She genuinely wished Gjorn would win. She didn’t like seeing her best friend and future husband looking so defeated against Rublier.

Satin encouraged Gjorn.

“He’s your friend. Even if he’s not on good terms with me. If he has any sense, he won’t go too hard on a friend. He’ll probably adjust and win moderately. He might even make a mistake. People who are overconfident tend to make mistakes, right? So, you should look for an opening. Maybe you could win.”

Even though Satin herself thought Gjorn’s victory was impossible, saying it out loud made it sound somewhat plausible. It might be possible. Rublier was just a human.

With his arrogant personality, he would probably think he could win even if he held his sword with his foot among peers much less skilled than him. Gjorn just needed to take advantage of that and land a decisive blow.

That would knock Rublier down a peg, making her happy, and the Sel Wio family would be pleased that Ka Dillon was defeated. It painted a picture of a happy ending in many ways.