Though the premise “not yet” was attached, it was an explanation that couldn’t be more accurate.

Chloe nodded slightly and entered the neatly arranged bedroom. There was no need to rush after that. The deck she stepped onto after finishing a leisurely dinner and shower was cool. The sun had already completely set.

Chloe enjoyed this rare leisure with an unprecedented sense of ease. Even the wine, usually bitter, tasted sweet.

After putting down her empty glass, Chloe focused on the quiet voice. Though she had only recently realized it, Andert possessed an outstanding ability to explain points concisely.

But now, more than anything else, she wanted to hear his voice.

“Keep talking, Andert.”

Chloe, resting her chin on one hand, gently requested.

“I want to hear your voice more. It goes well with the night sea.”

A voice that harmonizes with the darkened sea…… Andert silently laughed at this assessment he heard for the first time in his life.

Though he couldn’t quite picture what it meant, he didn’t ask again. If Chloe said so, it must be right.

“Well then, Chloe. What else would you like to hear?”

“Anything is fine. Everything you say is interesting.”

“I think you’re the only one who finds me interesting.”

Andert’s lips curved upward pleasantly as he reached out to stroke her soft brown hair. It was praise that no one who knew him would agree with.

But Chloe, who had given compliments that would terrify Daniel or employees who backed away when he appeared at the company, answered confidently.

“It’s true.”

Andert smiled without denying it at all.

If Chloe saw him that way, that was enough. He was secretly tempted by the title of being interesting, but only to Chloe.

Meanwhile, Chloe, who had emptied half of her refilled wine glass, suddenly asked.

“Oh, do you know? I saw in the guide that occasionally you can see schools of dolphins from the cruise ship deck. Of course, it’s not common and requires luck. And they say people make wishes while watching dolphins jumping above the water’s surface, cutting through the waves.”

Chloe was lovely as she revealed various pieces of information she had thoroughly read from the guidebook one by one. Andert enjoyed the moment when her eyes, tinged with orange lighting, focused entirely on him.

“Since it’s a rare sight in life, there seems to be a theory that wishes come true if you make them then. And if it rains lightly and then stops, we might see a rainbow over the sea. Of course, that would also require perfect timing.”

A school of dolphins, wishes, and a rainbow over the sea.

All of them were things that human effort couldn’t control. Though it would require complete luck, perhaps one might come true before they disembarked from this ship.

He decided to harbor a vague expectation. Above all, he wanted to see her clear face delighted at encountering such a sight.

“I’ve liked rainbows since I was young. As a child, I thought the colorful rings floating in the sky were so amazing and beautiful. I think I loved those moments more because they weren’t something you could see easily just by wanting to.”

The story continued gently, seeping into the night sea surrounding them.

Quietly listening, he suddenly recalled the rainbow piece that had bloomed in Chloe’s bedroom drawer.

That day when he had waited for Chloe without thinking and walked together on Alonso Street. The park they arrived at after seeing the constellation fortune.

That was the day he had gifted Chloe rainbow candy. Choosing a basket with pink balloons and ribbons from a colorful cart was coincidental.

And Chloe had carefully placed that single piece of candy in the console drawer inside her bedroom. Chloe’s belongings that moved to the duke’s mansion when they married weren’t many. Just one suitcase and a few large boxes.

So among those few belongings, the rainbow piece had found its place.

Having accidentally discovered the colorful fan-shaped candy, he felt a lump in his throat. Of course, it was gratifying if she treasured something he had given as a gift.

Andert was happy too. At the same time, he felt sorry for Chloe and grateful to her.

And he felt deep relief. That he could be with someone so affectionate.

“I love you, Chloe.”

The confession was abrupt. Chloe, who had been moistening her throat with wine after the long conversation, seemed a bit surprised. But she soon answered with a bright smile.

Gazing intently at such a Chloe, Andert tilted his head sideways at a strange sense of dissonance. Something was clearly different from usual. From her slightly flushed cheeks to the hint of languor in her tone.

His highly saturated blue eyes only realized one fact after seeing the now-empty glass bottle. That Chloe was much weaker to alcohol than he thought.

It was something he had overlooked because they hadn’t had many opportunities to drink together.

Moreover, the alcohol content in the elongated wine bottle wasn’t that high. But he, who didn’t like the sweet aftertaste, had barely touched it after the first sip.

In the end, she had drunk this entire bottle of wine by herself.

“Chloe, are you alright?”

He discreetly removed the glass in front of her slender hand and pulled a water cup in its place.

Alcohol was appropriate only to the extent of feeling pleasantly tipsy. He didn’t want to see Chloe suffering from a hangover the next day.

“Yes, everything is good. I like Larcel where we came for our honeymoon, and I enjoy this leisurely time. Of course, among all that, I like you beside me the most.”

Chloe, who took a sip of cool water, blinked her eyes. It was a strange answer for the question of whether she was okay. Andert couldn’t help but laugh at the response she wouldn’t have given under normal circumstances.

Chloe with a bit of intoxication didn’t appear much different from usual at first glance. Her speech wasn’t slurred, nor was she unable to control her body.

She just smiled more than usual, and various trivial stories were mixed in between. He wanted to see more of this unexpected side of Chloe.

But the sea breeze had grown cool as the night deepened.

It didn’t matter for him, but it was different for a woman wearing thin clothes. Above all, he didn’t want Chloe to suffer from a summer cold. Moreover, she was someone who would inevitably spend at least a week sick in bed due to a cold once a year.

“We should go inside now.”

“I’m fine. Just a little longer, Andert.”

Andert lifted Chloe, who wanted to feel the cool breeze more, in one swift motion.

Unlike her startled scream, her warm body soon leaned against him. At the same time, her white arms wrapped around his neck.

Andert, filled with languid satisfaction, showered short kisses on her straight forehead, bridge of her nose, and both cheeks. He placed Chloe on the bed and then stood up. The body temperature in his arms was hotter than usual. It might simply be due to the alcohol, but if not, he judged it better for her to rest well.

“It’s not late yet, but let’s sleep early today, Chloe.”

Andert, who turned off the lamp on the bedside table, also pulled up the neatly arranged bedding.

Contrary to such rationality, the discomfort he felt below his waist was rapidly growing. But he didn’t want to selfishly satisfy his desires in such a situation.

It was Chloe who held him back as he tried to stand up.

“I want to kiss.”

The force pulling his arm was weak.

Though he would have followed such a voice anytime normally, Andert stood still, staring at Chloe. He was the one who wanted more than anyone to kiss those reddened lips.

The problem was that it didn’t seem like it would end with just a kiss. Having coldly assessed his own limits, he let out an impatient sigh.

Chloe, lying disheveled on the bed, seemed to have her remaining intoxication gradually rising. Recognizing her eye blinks that had become noticeably slower than before, Andert gathered his remaining patience.

“Rest first now, Chloe. And it seems one bottle of wine is too much for you, so remember that.”

He rubbed his eyelids, which felt unnecessarily heated, and brought a glass of water. Meanwhile, Chloe, who had raised her upper body to sit, shook her head as if wronged.

“I’m not drunk.”

If one didn’t know, it was indeed a clear tone where the effects of alcohol weren’t particularly noticeable. Andert, who placed the water glass within Chloe’s reach, laughed softly.

“People who are drunk never realize they are.”

He had never seen it in his life. Even men who drank as if they were about to die would insist they weren’t drunk when asked. Of course, Chloe with her reddened face was a completely different case from such types.

Andert, who laid her back down on the pillow, gathered her long, flowing hair with his fingertips. It was thanks to having seen Chloe always loosely tying her hair to the side before sleeping.