In the bedroom of the townhouse, Kian sat in a single armchair wearing a robe, gazing out the window. Unable to focus on any text, he couldn’t read newspapers or books. His eyes remained fixed solely on the driveway, watching for an approaching carriage.

After sending Vivianne back to Baldwin Manor, he naturally expected she wouldn’t come the first day. Having exerted herself with her frail body after so long, she must have been exhausted. He understood completely.

By the second day, he began preparing for her arrival. He arranged the finest bath oils of every variety for the tub and set aside flower petals to float on the water, having heard she would like that. He ordered the chef to make chocolate cake, imagining how adorable she would look with chocolate smeared around her mouth.

He even prepared napkins of especially soft material and instructed that a smoother, easier-to-drink champagne be readied just in case. Yet she didn’t come that day either.

By the third day, an inexplicable anxiety began to wash over him.

“I should go. It would be terrible if someone caught me.”

How cruel. She had said “goodbye” without any lingering attachment.

“Don’t say ‘goodbye.’ At times like this, you should say ‘see you again.'”

“What? Again?”

Despite being given the correct response, her tone suggested she questioned why they would meet again.

‘Wasn’t she attracted to me? Not worth seeing again?’

With no word from her, he began to feel worthless. Had Vivianne felt this way too? After making love to her, he would thoughtlessly leave for hunting trips or business in the capital.

He had feared becoming too attached if they remained together, but back then, Vivianne had eyes only for him. Her heart must have burned black with longing.

‘Was the food not to her taste?’

No, that couldn’t be it. The food was excellent even by Kian’s particular standards. He had carefully selected all her favorites.

‘Or was the s*x disappointing?’

That couldn’t be it either. She had whimpered so sweetly, leaking from both ends. Could she really have found it unsatisfying despite writhing in pleasure?

Though he had always enjoyed tasting and biting Vivianne, he had never serviced her with such dedication before. He had sucked every inch of her body until it swelled, setting aside his own desires to embrace her with utmost care and tenderness.

Or perhaps… that was why it was disappointing?

Maybe his excessive caution had failed to leave a strong impression. He had considered one aspect but overlooked another.

Everyone had their preferences, after all. He could have asked precisely what she wanted and accommodated her every desire. She needed to bear his child to survive, but the process should be enjoyable too. That wouldn’t have been difficult to arrange.

But she needed to give him a chance to show her. Since that night, there had been no word from Vivianne. Though he thought he knew everything about her, she now felt like a complete stranger.

‘Did I talk too much about her panties?’

He had no defense on that point. She had looked so cute, and he had teased her just to see her troubled face. Perhaps he had come across as some kind of s*xual deviant. He should have acted according to the situation and circumstances.

As someone had rightly called him “ill-mannered,” arrogance had become second nature to him. He wondered if he had pushed her too hard, forgetting his place.

Still, he had restrained himself from stripping her and locking her in the bedroom. Could her feelings really have cooled just because of one pair of panties?

Expecting her to come again, he had washed them clean by hand and folded them neatly. If he had known she wouldn’t care about leaving her soaked underwear behind, he would have kept them as they were. Now he regretted washing away her precious scent with his own hands.

‘Or did I seem too desperate?’

He had pleaded with her to come see the puppy, use the bathtub, or eat chocolate. He should have stopped there, but he had added those pathetic words about waiting for her too.

“Goodbye, then.”

Goodbye. She had definitely said goodbye.

That word “goodbye,” uttered without hesitation from her small lips, kept echoing in his mind, driving him mad. Part of him felt angry too. Could that tiny thing have dared to use him and discard him?

He had thought her innocent, but had she known how to enjoy a one-night fling under the pretext of alcohol?

If you have s*x, you should take responsibility. What did you mean by goodbye?

In that respect, Kian was rather conservative.

Did she truly not care about carrying the child of a man she had no interest in?

Come to think of it, even when she had confessed in the carriage that she wanted to have a baby, she had only talked about pregnancy. Never about wanting to marry Kian or become his wife.

For his part, he didn’t particularly care about having a child; he wanted only her. Had she cunningly desired his child more than him?

“Vivi, have you done it with other men?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t know”? What kind of ambiguous, unpleasant answer was that?

In truth, he didn’t care who she had been with or what she had done. If she would only return, if she could just be safe, he could endure anything.

Of course, if he discovered who her partner had been, he couldn’t leave them be. He would just have to handle it without Vivianne knowing.

Heaving a long sigh and rubbing his face with his hands, he noticed An running over with a whimper, pawing at his feet.

“Please stay with An.”

“…Just that. He seems to hate being alone.”

Following her instructions, he had kept the annoying ball of fur by his side all day. How had she known about An’s separation anxiety?

He worried momentarily that her memories might have returned, but she had shown no signs of that.

In case Vivianne came, he had taught An a new trick. When he made a finger gun and pointed it at An, the puppy would roll over and show his plump belly. Watching An wag his tail enthusiastically before following the command made Kian feel deflated. He saw himself in the dog.

So what if they were similar?

The look in her eyes when she gazed at An had seemed more affectionate than when she looked at him. Even by his own assessment, he was no better than a puppy. It wasn’t him but An who had stayed by Vivianne’s side, comforting her loneliness.

The thought weighed on his chest like a stone.

“Master.”

“Did you find out?”

A moment later, Richard arrived. Unable to wait any longer, Kian had sent an inquiry to Baron Grieam.

“W-well… Lady Vivianne said she won’t be coming.”

Kian’s face darkened.

“She didn’t give a reason?”

“No, nothing specific.”

“…”

Then he would have to try another approach. At this rate, he felt he might wither away waiting.

Going to her immediately might be too much. Though he had long stopped caring about pride, he feared Vivianne might hide in surprise rather than welcome him.

Kian took out his cigar case to maintain his composure but put it back when he saw An wagging his tail beside him. While he was concerned about smoking around the dog, there was another reason too. She was already avoiding him; he didn’t want to smell of cigar smoke when he saw her.

“Baron Grieam says he’ll bring Lady Vivianne by any means necessary. What should we do?”

“No need. Tell him not to frighten her by interfering, just do as he’s told.”

Whatever her reasons for deciding not to see him, forcing her to come would only increase her resistance.

* * *

Vivianne headed to a boutique in the bustling district by carriage. When Angela mentioned going to get a dress fitted as a change of mood, Marchioness Baldwin had made a command-like suggestion that Vivianne should go along and get one for herself too.

She said winter in Baldwin territory was cold, so it would be good to prepare some warm clothing. The Marchioness had also instructed them to look around the shops in the busy district and have a meal out while they were there.

Vivianne had only recently had clothes made, and things were still awkward with Angela. Though Angela had apologized for her outburst, saying she must have been too drunk, her apology seemed forced and reluctant.

Understanding Angela’s feelings, Vivianne didn’t pretend to be friendly. Throughout the carriage ride, Angela had simply stared out the window.

Theodore had accompanied them as an escort, which allowed Vivianne to arrive at the boutique without much worry.

After having her measurements taken, Vivianne waited in the changing room. The boutique assistant had begun helping her into a dress but had stepped out, asking her to wait a moment.

‘When will she return? I want to go home.’

She had said “just a moment,” but Vivianne had been waiting for quite a while with no sign of the assistant. She wondered if Theodore was waiting too long. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she glanced around the curtained changing room.

“The ribbon is pretty.”

Vivianne fingered the ribbon decoration on a dress hanging on a rack. She had specifically chosen a lace dress adorned with ribbons to reflect her taste.

Last time, Marchioness Baldwin had helped her choose clothes, but this time she couldn’t ask Angela for help, so she had selected what she liked best.

She was quite pleased with it and felt oddly proud of her choice.

Just then, the curtain opened and an unexpected person entered. Vivianne’s eyes widened in shock.

“It’s been a while.”