She was being unusually clingy today.

He wondered why she was being so openly affectionate, but upon reflection, he realized that it wasn’t entirely out of character for her. Since they returned from Czernok, Sveta had occasionally initiated kisses, and her smiles had become softer and warmer.

The faint thread of suspicion that had stirred within him dissolved as he recalled her bright, radiant smile.

She moved closer, pressing herself against him. The warmth of her delicate body brushing against his through the thin barrier of his shirt sent a subtle shiver through him.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Of course.”

Aiden gently smoothed down the hair of the woman tugging at his sleeve.

Suddenly, several faces flashed through his mind — those of wayward sons who had allowed their wives to win them over and neglected their families as a result. The last face to appear was his own.

‘What did I do…?’

He had excluded the southern nobles from his business dealings. He had humiliated one of their daughters. He broke off an engagement and conceded certain interests.

‘Did it truly have to be that way?’

The answer never changed.

It had to be this way. His actions were completely justified. And yet, despite his firm resolve, a sense of guilt began to creep quietly into his heart.

Aiden knew exactly where that dark, insidious feeling had taken root.

It was a wound inflicted long ago — first by his elder brother, the infamous libertine of the South, and then by his father, whose fixation on bloodlines bordered on madness.

That rigid sense of responsibility whispered relentlessly within him.

‘Do not give in to temptation. Stand up at once and do what must be done.’

At the same time, he could hear his lover’s soft voice beside him.

“Then… could you come back early?”

“…”

“Please answer me.”

Her delicate eyebrows dipped slightly, and Aiden slowly traced their dark outline with his fingers.

Their eyes met, hers soft and tender in a way that took his breath away.

What was this feeling?

It was as though he were falling. Yet slipping from his carefully guarded orbit did not feel frightening at all.

If this was love — if this quiet moment between them was truly what love was — then he would not mind falling, even if it meant his downfall.

Aiden’s eyes curved gently as he smiled.

“I will spend the entire day with you today.”

She threw herself into his arms as if clinging to him.

“I’m happy, so happy, Your Grace.”

***

They had dinner in the bedroom.

Sveta didn’t want him to go outside. She had heard that several vassals and guests were staying in the annex.

If Aiden happened to run into someone while going out for dinner, and they invited him to join them for tea or summoned him to their study, it would be difficult to administer the sleeping draught if he returned late.

‘It takes quite a while for the medicine to take effect…’

Fortunately, Aiden granted her request.

He ordered dinner to be brought to the bedroom, and when she offered to make the tea herself, he said he was looking forward to it.

“Sir Pailin. Would you guide me to the kitchen?”

“Yes.”

Pailin walked ahead beneath the imposing rows of pewter-colored ornaments lining the corridor, bearing a jewel-studded sword, a shield as large as a man, silver armor, and spears.

Sveta followed a few steps behind, glancing around warily.

Then, all at once, something felt wrong.

It was not simply the weight of the unfamiliar surroundings.

A moment later, she understood why.

There was not a single guard stationed along the corridor.

‘Are they concentrating the guards at the castle gate instead?’

It was strange, but also convenient. Instead of going through the main gate, she took a side path.

In the kitchen, Sveta prepared the tea with steady, practiced hands.

She lifted the cup and took a small sip of the brew, which was darker than usual. The sharp bitterness pleased her — it would mask the taste of the sleeping powder, which was even more bitter.

After carefully checking that nobody was watching, she slipped the vial from her sleeve and emptied its contents into the teapot.

With this amount, no matter how resilient Sir Pailin — or even Aiden — might be, they would not wake up until tomorrow night.

Trickle.

The tea flowed smoothly into the cups.

Once she had finished, Sveta carried one of the cups to Pailin, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, and handed it to him.

“It’s my favorite tea. I brewed it especially strong for you, Sir.”

“…Thank you.”

He took the saucer bearing the teacup. His thick, rough hand lifted the small cup.

The moment he took a sip, his eyes widened.

After blinking several times, he tipped the cup back.

Gulp.

He swallowed the contents in one go, as though inhaling them, and then shuddered dramatically.

The sight reminded Sveta of a child being forced to eat an unwanted vegetable, and she let out a small laugh.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“…For drinking the tea?”

“For always trying to protect me.”

“It was my lord’s command. It is only natural.”

“You are a good person.”

The tips of Pailin’s ears turned bright red. Turning his head slightly away, he said in a low voice.

“I will continue to be.”

The words resonated in her chest.

Sveta broke into a radiant smile. She was grateful. She wanted to remember those warm words for a long time.

“You have no idea how much joy those words bring me.”

“…Yes.”

Lowering his gaze, Pailin spoke hesitantly.

“…It would be best to return now.”

“Very well, Sir. Lead the way.”

“Yes.”

From behind, the nape of his neck was entirely red.

***

Meanwhile, Charles Strilland led his knights towards the border.

The route his son’s mistress would take to flee was obvious. If she had come all the way to the hunting festival only to leave again, she must be planning to cross the border.

“Trying to bolt for Prisada.”

It was an audacious plan.

Yet it was also a wise choice. All she had to do was pass through the low mountain pass. But how did she intend to get past the border outpost?

‘She must have someone helping her.’

The more he thought about it, the more brazen it seemed.

It had already been intolerable enough to see that lowborn creature whining beside Aiden. But betraying his capable son was equally unacceptable.

“To dare deceive Strilland.”

Fine lines gathered at the corners of the old duke’s sharp eyes. With a hardened expression, he looked up at the sky.

The early evening sky was unusually clear. The dry air pierced his lungs like shards of glass.

“Is it going to snow?”

Good.

No matter how well she could ride, she was still just a woman. There was no way she could properly escape along a snowy mountain path on a wild horse.

A little pressure and she would lose her composure.

The old duke intended to drive the woman towards the cliff and push her over the edge into Shadow Gorge.

‘Shadow Gorge.’

It was the perfect place to dispose of his son’s tasteless toy.

The reason was simple.

Dense clusters of thick Dreipium trees grew there, obscuring the view completely. The gorge was so deep that the bottom could not be seen. Savage beasts roamed within it.

This was precisely why the grand hunting festival was held there every year — to eliminate the creatures that sometimes wandered out of the gorge and into Levizan.

As the old duke and his knights stood on the brink of the hunt, they felt a strange thrill course through them.

“This hunting festival will be worth watching.”

With that, Charles Strilland pulled back on the reins of his horse. They had already reached the forest’s edge.

He lifted one hand, signaling to his knights to stop.

“We wait here.”

***

“I brewed it strong on purpose, Your Grace.”

Sveta sat on the sofa and held out the teacup.

It had originally been lemon-colored. However, it had been steeped so heavily that it was now a faint shade of brown. Aiden gazed down at it silently.

“Aren’t you drinking?”

“I already had mine in the kitchen.”

“…”

He shifted his gaze from the delicately painted teacup and saucer to her slender wrist.

He quietly placed the cup on the table.

Then, without warning, he took Sveta’s hand in his. Her arm, as slender and fragile as an arrow shaft, trembled faintly in his grasp.

He raised her wrist to his lips.

Her pale skin was so translucent that the blue veins beneath were visible and yielded helplessly to his touch.

Startled by the sudden gesture, she asked—

“Ah—aren’t you going to drink the tea?”

“I’ll drink it after it cools.”

Answering shamelessly, Aiden removed his shirt.

Sveta’s gaze slid down along his collarbone and the broad curve of his chest as she murmured.

“It’s already cooled a little.”

“Then I’ll wait for it to cool a little more.”

He claimed her lips with a brief reply.

He savored the soft press of her mouth, the faintly provocative breath mingling between them, and the fragile sound trembling from her throat. Aiden took it all in, leaving nothing behind.

His hand glided slowly along her back. Reaching the velvet ribbon that fastened her dress, he hooked a finger beneath it, giving it a slight tug as he lifted his chin.

Her slender hand, still marked by the lingering imprint of his kiss, rose to cradle his strong jaw.

As the ribbon loosened and the fabric slipped away, pale, smooth skin was revealed beneath. With her chest only half concealed, Sveta whispered softly.

“Only until the tea cools.”

“…”

“So… just once.”

Her sweet voice filled his chest.

The guilt and responsibility that had consumed his heart melted away.

Pressing close to her, Aiden murmured.

“Just once.”

His hand slowly traced the line of her straight spine. Sveta shivered faintly.

She trembled like a blade of grass beneath sudden rain.

A quiet laugh escaped his lips. He pulled her pliant waist closer and settled her on his thigh.

He lifted the hem of her skirt, his broad fingers slipping beneath the fabric.

Sveta held onto the back of the sofa with one hand, tilting her chin upwards, and let out a soft, unsteady m*an.

Pressed tightly against her, he held her gaze. The hand that had been hovering uncertainly in the air slowly curled around his neck.

“Is it too bright for you? Shall I extinguish the lights?”

“…No. No, Your Grace. Just—go on.”

With the moon behind her, she smiled, her pale, luminous face illuminated.

Something felt strange.

It was as though she would vanish with the moon if it were to waver or disappear from the sky.

An uncontrollable urgency surged within him.