Satin bit her lip. Gjorn was someone she had reluctantly prepared to face. But Delilah was not. The unexpected presence made her uneasy.

Are you crazy? Why would you bring that woman here? Really, what confidence do you have?

It was outrageous. She wanted to ask directly.

Though she tried not to look, her eyes kept being drawn to Delilah. Dressed in a red gown, Delilah fit in better here than Gjorn did. As an actress whose face and body were her assets, she instinctively knew how to make herself stand out.

Additionally, Satin was subtly surprised at how haggard Gjorn looked after just three months. She thought he would manage well on his own, but apparently not. With a timid personality, it must have been hard for him to hold out recklessly, and he couldn’t have easily sent Delilah away, so he must have suffered a lot.

Kirion’s friendly banter with his friend echoed in her ears.

“Anyway, please understand if the orchestra’s sound seems a bit empty. Due to the bad weather, some of the musicians we had arranged couldn’t make it. The troupe and singers are also in poor condition. I’m worried if the ceremony will go smoothly. Well, considering that even nobles like you caused a commotion at the entrance, it’s no wonder they are in such a state.”

Latecomers filled the hall.

After Kirion left to greet other nobles, Satin signaled Rublier by tapping his arm.

“Ru…, Sir Ka Dillon.”

“Yes.”

“That woman is over there. Did you see her?”

“I saw. Gjorn brought her.”

Rublier replied nonchalantly.

“I don’t know what kind of recklessness it is to bring her to a place where even our parents will be.”

Soon, the heads of Del Mare and Sel Wio would arrive. Although each had different age groups and friendships, and it was rare for them to gather in one place even within the same banquet hall, everyone would still be watching.

Considering it was an event hosted by the Pope and Kirion for National Foundation Day, did they come together because they judged that neither set of parents could openly show their displeasure?

“Don’t worry about it. That’s Gjorn’s concern, not yours.”

Satin vehemently denied it.

“It’s not a concern.”

“Everything you say about Gjorn sounds like a concern to me.”

Rublier cut her off.

Why? Is there a problem with my tone?

Satin was about to close her mouth but then changed her mind and argued back.

“I’m telling you, it’s not. Why would I be concerned about Gjorn?”

“Exactly. I’m curious too.”

Isn’t concern an emotion that starts from a heart that worries about the other person?

Worry. Satin glanced sideways but stopped. It was uncomfortable because she kept making eye contact with Gjorn or Delilah.

Instead, Satin whispered a rebuttal to Rublier.

“……I don’t understand what Sir Ka Dillon wants. That’s why I said it would be better to cancel such uncomfortable events, that it would be better not to run into Gjorn. Who was the one who said it was fine and then acts like this after coming here?”

As she argued, the uncomfortable feeling she felt earlier resurfaced.

‘Is Gjorn more on your mind than dozens of other people?’

Rublier, worried that others might hear, leaned in and watched Satin grumble softly. On other days, Satin wouldn’t come within a certain distance, but she ignored that distance only in moments of bickering like this. She had done the same when she demanded he sign the divorce papers, and today was no different.

What does she mean she doesn’t know what he wants?

Satin’s indecisive attitude was unsatisfactory.

People believe and judge based on what they see with their eyes. So at least today, they should either pretend to be a happily married couple, forgetting about the divorce contract, or coldly ignore Gjorn as if he didn’t exist. But they couldn’t get in sync at all.

Satin was neither here nor there. Even though she vehemently denied it, she only reluctantly responded when Gjorn was mentioned. Most importantly, Rublier knew about Satin’s past days of taking care of and looking after Gjorn.

Even while criticizing Gjorn’s reckless behavior, she would frown and add, ‘I don’t know why he’s like that.’ Her old habits would suddenly appear, but she was the only one unaware of them.

“What do you want, you say…”

“I greet the successors of the Paladin and Del Mare.”

However, the banquet hall was not a suitable place for the two to have a whispered conversation.

Interrupters kept appearing. Nobles who found Rublier and Satin came to greet them continuously. Moreover, many of the men among them kissed the back of Satin’s hand. Since Kirion was the first to show respect and consideration for Satin in this manner, the nobles under him naturally followed suit.

“You two seem inseparable. I was wondering when to greet you. You seem very close.”

“……Really?”

Satin responded with a suitable smile.

The other nobles didn’t ostracize Gjorn, and they didn’t have the guts to do so against a man from Sel Wio, but it was clear that they placed much more importance on Satin and Rublier than on Gjorn.

Even though the nobles left a kiss on Satin’s hand, who was formally married, they refrained from making contact with Delilah, who was merely a mistress. Instead of a warm greeting, they barely exchanged eye contact or just introduced themselves by name. Even when they went to greet others after Satin and Rublier, it was almost always Gjorn rather than Delilah.

It was natural. As even the Sel Wio family acknowledged, Delilah’s status did not exceed that of a noble’s mistress. The people who attended the event were those who had attended the wedding or had already heard about the situation through rumors.

Unless Gjorn recklessly caused a scene asking why his lover was being ignored, he was more inclined to quietly live avoiding tiring conflicts with his beloved woman. Therefore, people had no reason to warmly greet Delilah and upset Satin.

After the crowd of people receded, Satin and Rublier resumed their whispered conversation.

“Sir Ka Dillon is mistaken. I want Gjorn to regret.”

“Regret breaking up with you?”

“Regret everything he lost… Wait, are you trying to say that I still have feelings for Gjorn? That’s not it. I just don’t want to lose.”

“I see.”

What do you want? Rublier, recalling Satin’s question, pointed to the corner of his mouth.

“Satin, smile.”

Satin asked back reluctantly.

“Smile… suddenly?”

“If I don’t tell you in advance, you always show too much with your expressions.”

“……What are you trying to do?”

“Kissing a woman’s hand means reverence.”

Rublier took Satin’s hand and lifted it. Up to this point, it was no different from the other men who had kissed the back of her hand. The men gathered in the banquet hall had all expressed their respect to Satin, so it wasn’t strange for her husband, Rublier, to do the same.

“And a husband should revere his wife more than anyone.”

Holding her slender fingers together, Rublier slowly brought Satin’s hand to his lips.

So that’s what you meant by managing my expression.

Satin maintained her smile as she had been warned. But just before her lips touched, at the last moment, he flipped Satin’s hand over.

He slowly pressed his lips to the center of her palm.

Her smile wavered slightly.

The soft skin of the palm was much more sensitive than the back of the hand. It was incomparable to a ceremonial hand kiss.

The touch of his lips was soft. It tickled. It was warm.

And it was bewildering. She couldn’t tell if he was trying to embarrass Gjorn or her.

Is this… what it feels like? Having someone kiss you.

Although it was different from a kiss on the lips, she felt a pang in her chest, thinking it might not be different. Her legs tingled.

One would only know by experiencing it firsthand.

The man’s breath, the rise and fall of his breathing, the tactile sensations pricking up piece by piece, and the warmth covering those sensations.

With just a kiss on her palm, Satin felt him. It was irresistible.

“At least pretend to love me when Gjorn is watching.”

With his lips pressed firmly against her palm, Rublier met Satin’s gaze.

Whenever the contact deepened even a little, Satin never knew what to do. She would act tough but then quickly run away.

Even now, Rublier sensed Satin’s instinctive wariness to pull her hand away.

Rublier tightened his grip a little more. Satin’s brow twitched slightly.

“Does it hurt?”

“……No.”

It didn’t hurt. It was closer to being awkward than painful. Satin lowered her voice.

“Gjorn has known me for over twenty years. He can tell if I’m acting or being sincere…”

Satin tried hard not to tense up.

With each word Rublier spoke, his lips kept brushing against her palm. Her palm wanted to curl up. Wouldn’t this look strange to others? Wouldn’t it look awkward?

Wouldn’t it look… strange?

The sensation of his skin brushing over hers made her shiver. She tried hard to endure it, but it couldn’t be completely hidden.

“Really? That’s good.”

Rublier responded leisurely. Satin widened her eyes at the inscrutable remark. What did he mean by ‘good’?

Even if they pretended to be in love, Gjorn would see through it, yet he said it was good?

The pressure on her hand, preventing her from escaping, lessened somewhat. But she still wasn’t entirely free.

Rublier slid his lips over her fingertips.

A smacking sound. Satin flinched at the sound of her skin being sucked and released. His answer came next.

“Why not make it genuine while we’re at it?”