Karina was speechless. At her stammering response, Dominic’s expression hardened further.

“Is it that shocking?”

“Do-don’t you think it’s something to be shocked about?”

“Then what did you think would happen between us afterward?”

“Us? Don’t lump yourself and me together like that. That’s why you keep misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

Dominic’s eyebrow rose crookedly again.

“What misunderstanding? What am I misunderstanding right now?”

“Listen carefully. If I had to marry every one-night, no… every overnight partner, one, two, three, four… ten fingers wouldn’t be enough.”

Of course, in this life, the night with Dominic was her first, but Karina was so flustered that she said this. Well, she wasn’t unaware of Dominic’s feelings. She too felt tender towards someone she’d spent the night with.

But Karina couldn’t do it.

‘Marrying a man who harbored feelings for another woman’ just because they spent a night together was truly, truly out of the question. Even if his conscientious nature meant he would do his best for her after marriage, an unhappy marriage was as clear as day. How could he possibly forget his unrequited love for Olivia Lindid?

Even if she had to be the bad person right now, there was no choice. Surely there would come a day when he would thank her.

“So, Dominic Winchester. While yesterday might have been an extraordinary day for you, Brigadier General, for me it was just one of many nights.”

“Look here, Karina Crawford.”

“No, I’m not finished yet. Keep listening. If one night has such power, then spending the night with someone you truly love must have even more impact. So, Brigadier General, make sure to attend this ball with Lady Lindid. Because an incredible day awaits you then.”

Oh, whatever.

Though perhaps she shouldn’t have said it, Karina closed her eyes tight and leaked the heavenly secret.

‘Your destiny is Olivia Lindid.’

Their love was so passionate in the book. That pure and devoted love couldn’t possibly be overshadowed by someone he’d spent just one night with. Karina quickly downed her tea and stood up.

“Now that we seem to be done talking, may I leave first?”

“Sit down, Karina Crawford.”

“Well then, goodbye. The tea was good. You’ll be very glad you listened to me about the ball. Make sure to thank me then. Understand?”

Karina ran for the door before Dominic could catch her. Dominic’s reaction was slightly delayed by the sudden situation. As he rushed to catch her, an oblivious waiter blocked his path.

“Brigadier General Winchester, how would you like to handle the bill?”

No matter how urgent the situation, he couldn’t become a scoundrel who dines and dashes. Dominic clenched his fist. The black leather glove made a creaking sound from the friction. He gritted his teeth and pulled out a gold coin to hand to the waiter.

“Keep the change.”

Without waiting for a response, Dominic left the café.

But Karina was already gone.

* * *

“Dominic. Do you have a moment?”

Back in his office after meeting Karina, his friend was waiting. A man who looked just like the woman who had just fled from him. Though he didn’t want to see anyone right now, not even Lucas, Dominic had no choice but to nod.

“About what we discussed at my house last time.”

“What did we discuss?”

To Dominic who responded in a daze, Lucas raised his voice slightly in frustration.

“The proposal, my friend.”

“Ah…”

“I’m worried. Is it going well? Things didn’t look too good.”

Lucas spoke worriedly, thinking of Olivia and her partner. The two already seemed to be more than ordinary acquaintances. Everyone who needed to know was aware of how much attention the other party was lavishing on Olivia.

In a situation where their relationship was becoming almost a foregone conclusion, Lucas couldn’t help but worry about Dominic suddenly saying he would propose to her.

However, Dominic recalled a completely different person at Lucas’s words. Surprised that Lucas knew about his situation, Dominic asked back instead.

“How did you know? I thought you wouldn’t have guessed at all.”

“How could I not know when you made it so obvious? Isn’t it natural?”

“Ha.”

“Seeing you sigh like that, I guess things really aren’t going well.”

“…I met her today to talk about the proposal, but she ran away telling me to meet another woman.”

“What? Is that true?”

“She says she’ll never meet me again, but surely she can’t be serious.”

Lucas put his hand to his forehead.

He had thought things seemed a bit hasty, and sure enough, this disaster had occurred.

“I hate to say this, but I think she has someone else in mind.”

“…What?”

“What’s more surprising is that you didn’t notice despite being so close. To be honest, I never thought you would have feelings for that person.”

Well, though the Winchester family was also an illustrious house, Olivia Lindid’s ‘partner’ was someone so extraordinary they couldn’t even compare. He thought Dominic would naturally have given up his feelings for Olivia, with whom he couldn’t even properly kiss.

“Honestly, taking responsibility for something like that could be burdensome for the woman too.”

Lucas said this while thinking of the incident where Dominic had attempted to kiss Olivia. Even anyone hearing about it would think it excessive to demand marriage when they hadn’t even properly kissed.

However, Dominic, who had misunderstood Lucas’s words, frowned deeply. He wondered what had happened to the Crawford family’s principles. Though he wanted to demand how spending the night together could be considered ‘something like that,’ he kept his mouth shut.

“I did something that requires taking responsibility, and I will take responsibility. That won’t change no matter what you say.”

“Fine, fine. But didn’t you say the other party ran away? That means she feels burdened.”

Dominic’s mouth closed again. Seeing his friend’s reaction, Lucas sighed.

“The problem is that you’re too hasty from the start.”

“Hasty? What is?”

“Have you ever properly expressed your feelings? Have you ever properly confessed?”

What woman would just accept it when a man who had only been a friend suddenly says he’ll propose? Lucas thought that even someone as gentle as Olivia would have no choice but to run away.

“…Confession?”

“Yes, surely you didn’t rush in to propose without even confessing?”

“Are you saying I need to confess and propose separately? Why would I need to do that?”

Lucas’s jaw dropped at Dominic’s unreasonable response.

“What did you say?”

“Obviously I’m proposing because I like her. What madman would propose to a woman he doesn’t like?”

“No, look here, friend. Look, right now you’re trying to launch a ship that isn’t even finished being built.”

Lucas said incredulously.

“Proposal? She needs to accept your confession first. You two aren’t anything to each other. What person would accept a sudden proposal from a man who isn’t even their fiancé? No matter how close you are? Could you do that? What if Sergeant Eugenie from headquarters suddenly proposed to you?”

“Why would Sergeant Eugenie propose to me?”

Dominic responded as if he was hearing something completely crazy. Though she was a comrade he had served with in the navy for a long time, he had never thought of her that way. However, Lucas nodded approvingly at Dominic’s response.

“That’s exactly it. Now do you understand?”

Lucas advised that to make someone see as a potential partner a man they hadn’t even thought of as a man — or perhaps hadn’t even seen as a man at all — one needed to follow those natural steps in order.

“Dominic. You’re too impatient right now. If you cool your head a bit and think again, you’ll understand what I mean. Things don’t work out on enthusiasm alone, right? These things need proper time too.”

Dominic gave no response to Lucas’s words.

He thought it was obvious.

Confession? Since Karina was naturally gifted in relationships between men and women, he thought she would have already noticed his feelings.

But listening to Lucas’s words, he had to admit he had been greatly mistaken. Only then did he recall what Karina had said to him.

— You actually have someone else you like, don’t you? Someone you’ve liked for quite a long time. Think back to how we first started meeting like this. You asked for my help because you wanted things to work out with Lady Lindid.

Dominic closed his eyes tightly.

“Damn it.”

That was it. Karina was misunderstanding. She thought that the one he liked wasn’t Karina Crawford but Olivia Lindid. That’s why their conversation had been so meandering without hitting the core of the subject.