As the bushes gently bent under Cedric’s strength, Arne’s face was completely hidden. The sky filled Arne’s view.

His body, backlit by the blazing sun, poured down over Arne as if collapsing.

Cedric tilted his head sideways as if to kiss her, just as Arne had done, but his lips didn’t touch hers. Instead, they traveled down her slender jawline and pale cheek to just above her chest.

The lips that touched above her core were hot. Increasingly intense kisses followed relentlessly, as if trying to devour her core.

This man, who had clearly forgotten how sensitive a mage’s core was, showed no mercy. The stimulation was too much. As Arne grabbed Cedric’s chin in response to the overwhelming sensation, Cedric lightly bit her index finger.

His mouth moved silently.

‘It’s okay.’

As the footsteps drew closer, Cedric placed the hat in Arne’s hand.

Before she could stop him, Cedric grazed her core with his teeth, causing Arne to draw in a sharp breath. As the tip of his stiff tongue swept down the cracked part of her core, Arne’s waist arched. Cedric supported Arne’s waist as he completely engulfed her core. Kissing, sucking, and biting, a strangely moist breath burst out, making Arne’s tightly closed lips seem insignificant.

Cedric’s gaze as he faced Arne was hot. Maintaining eye contact, he pressed his lips to her core again, and the feeling became increasingly strange.

“Hah.”

A muffled sound echoed as Cedric’s thumb crushed her lips. The cruel lips that had been pushing her to the limit stopped.

The footsteps of the man approaching Cedric and Arne also stopped. As Cedric raised his angry back, the sound of footsteps retreating and leaving could be heard.

Cedric’s eyes, which had been glancing at the departing man, slowly moved to look down at Arne.

Her clear eyes, as flushed as her face, were dangerously heated. Even though it wasn’t demonic energy rising.

Arne slowly closed and opened her eyes.

‘He was just blessing my core to defuse the situation. Though it was too intense for a blessing…’

But the fact that she didn’t dislike it made her body heat up even more. Her heart felt like it would burst.

Cedric, who had been staring at her flushed face, put Arne’s hat on her. This woman probably didn’t realize how seductive her face looked right now.

Cedric extended his hand to Arne. Through their clasped hands, he could feel her rapidly beating pulse. Veins stood out along Cedric’s tightly closed jaw.

Cedric pulled Arne up in one swift motion and tidied up the bushes stuck to her clothes. Unlike his merciless movements earlier, his touch as he fixed her disheveled appearance was full of restraint and courtesy.

After that, Arne didn’t even know how they got out of the maze garden. She had just walked in a daze, holding Cedric’s hand, and suddenly they were in a place where rabbits and ground squirrels were frolicking.

“My lady.”

“……”

“My lady.”

“……”

“Arne.”

“Yes?”

Startled, Arne looked up. Cedric raised one eyebrow as he looked at Arne.

“I never knew rabbits could be such dangerous animals. From now on, let’s not carelessly catch giant rabbits in the bushes of the maze garden.”

Arne chuckled at Cedric’s joke.

“I won’t catch them!”

“Please don’t. If you want, I’ll catch as many rabbits as you like.”

“I’ll ask you too. Please don’t torment the rabbits.”

A low laugh escaped from Cedric. Cedric’s finger tapped Arne’s hat, lowering it.

“But if your face is so flushed like that, people might think we’re the giant squirrels and rabbits from the bushes.”

Arne glared at Cedric. Pulling down her hat to cover her face, Arne spoke.

“I, I want to go back to the carriage.”

“If we go back with your face like this, people might think your preference is carriages.”

“Don’t make such mischievous jokes.”

“……”

Cedric looked at Arne, opened and closed his mouth, then fell silent. Cedric’s eyes blinked slowly.

As the brief silence grew longer, Arne, realizing this wasn’t a joke, dropped the hat she was holding.

Cedric picked up the fallen hat and placed it on Arne’s head. The red flush that started on her face spread down her neck to her chest.

“This is… a bit unfair.”

Cedric let out a languid sigh and smiled awkwardly.

“I just wanted to feed the rabbits and ground squirrels.”

The words ‘I’m the one who should feel wronged’ rose to the tip of her tongue, but Arne just fiddled with the edge of her hat. It was because the image of his kissing face kept overlapping in her mind.

Even though she knew it was just to avoid the situation, the heat wouldn’t subside.

“Then sit on the chair for a moment. The bakery is close, so I’ll quickly buy some nuts or feed.”

Arne nodded. It seemed good to be apart for a while. Cedric also nodded and moved quickly.

Arne pulled her hat down low and exhaled deeply. As she absentmindedly watched the rabbits hopping around, the bushes moved again.

The large bushes moved greatly.

‘This place is really famous.’

For a moment, through the swaying bushes, she saw a beautiful blonde woman with blue eyes and the back of a head that was unmistakable even from a distance. Arne’s eyes gradually widened.

‘…Lady Leverun and that guy Kale?’

At least, Amelia de Leverun shouldn’t have been here. Especially if she hoped to be engaged to Cedric at the last party.

‘No. Maybe it’s right for her to be here now.’

At this point, when the engagement talk hadn’t properly come up yet, it wouldn’t be strange for Kale and Amelia to start dating secretly. If their relationship was certain, it would be enough reason for Amelia and Cedric’s engagement not to proceed.

Arne stood up abruptly and parted the bushes she had just seen. Surprised, Arne covered her mouth.

“Kale de Wayne?”

It really was Kale. Kale’s face showed clear signs of bewilderment at seeing Arne. Kale’s irritated voice rang out loudly. As if he deliberately wanted someone to hear.

“Why are you here?”

“That’s what I want to ask.”

Arne looked around, crossing over the bushes completely. She had definitely seen Amelia.

‘Is it over there?’

Kale grabbed Arne’s wrist as she headed towards the connected path.

“Where are you going?”

“That’s none of your business, Young Master Wayne. Please let go.”

Kale’s behavior was very suspicious. Like he had a big secret that shouldn’t be discovered.

“Go back.”

“I’m going this way. Is there a problem?”

“I said go. I don’t even want to see your face.”

“I’ll go, so I’d appreciate it if you’d let go.”

Kale still didn’t release Arne’s wrist. It was really suspicious.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t go that way?”

No sooner had Arne finished speaking than the sound of a woman’s high heels echoed. At least it seemed there had indeed been a woman there.

Kale and Arne’s eyes met. As the sound of heels continued to echo, they grew anxious.

‘If it’s really Lady Leverun, I need to confirm before she leaves!’

But Arne couldn’t overcome Kale’s grip strength. As she was considering whether to use magic, Kale’s hand let go. When Arne tried to pass by Kale, a blonde woman with blue eyes walked out from that path.

‘Why are you…’

Arne’s pupils dilated. A sharp voice rang out.

“I heard you’re a lady who doesn’t know etiquette. Why aren’t you paying your respects?”

“…I greet you, Marchioness Wayne.”

Arne blurted out in bewilderment. Marchioness Wayne, Kale’s mother. She was sure the woman she saw earlier was Amelia de Leverun.

‘Did I really see wrong?’

But Arne’s thoughts couldn’t continue for long. Because the Marchioness’s sharp voice pierced her eardrums.

“Again!”

“Pardon?”

“Your etiquette is terrible. Pay your respects again.”

The Marchioness’s voice was not just cold, but frigid. Her gaze, scanning Arne from head to toe, was like someone checking if a piece of meat was fresh or of good quality.

What rested on her twisted lower lip was clear disgust and mockery. Seeing the Marchioness’s scorn, Arne placed her hand on her chest, lightly grasped the hem of her skirt, and tilted her head. There wasn’t a single flaw.

“…I greet you, Marchioness Wayne.”

She had been flustered earlier, but this time she paid her respects perfectly. As Arne slowly raised her head, the Marchioness’s cold voice flowed again.

“Again!”

“But I paid my respects perfectly this time.”

“How dare you talk back. Your etiquette is terrible. Do it again.”

“……”

The Marchioness’s blue eyes gleamed coldly. Arne remembered this gaze clearly. In her previous life, when she was engaged to Kale, she often looked down on Arne like this.

Back then, she also repeatedly ordered Arne to pay her respects again. At that time, Arne had never formally learned etiquette, so she thought it was her own inadequacy that was at fault.

Looking at it now, the Marchioness just wanted to crush Arne’s spirit before her. She wanted Arne to bow her head and grovel before her.

‘Etiquette is just an excuse, she simply hates me.’

Arne let out a chuckle. The Marchioness’s brow furrowed.

‘She laughed?’

The Arne the Marchioness remembered was a lady who fretted about trying to imitate a perfect noble lady. This kind of composure was not something Arne should show.

“It seems you thoroughly hate me, Marchioness.”

Momentarily at a loss for words at such a direct statement, the Marchioness quickly regained her composure and snapped at Arne.

“Do you know how much humiliation our family suffered because of you? Our family almost faced extinction because of the ravings of an insane woman! My precious son was suspected of poisoning the Second Prince just because of that one statement you made about how much he hated you, enough to tell you to die!”