When Vivianne became docile, the attentive care resumed.

Kian first removed her wet clothes and bathed her in warm water. Without completely undressing himself, he remained in his shirt and focused solely on washing her.

Though he had suggested they have dinner together after bathing, he brought the food to the bedroom. When Vivianne barely touched it, he went so far as to feed her by hand. Afterward, concerned she might fall ill, he made her drink herbal tea to warm her body.

He did everything Matilda would have done. And yet…

His kindness didn’t feel welcome now.

Of course, even though it wasn’t welcome, she had no intention of refusing it. If she did, he would find a way to make her accept it anyway. Arguing with him was exhausting.

She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Only then did she hear water sounds from the bathroom, suggesting he was bathing.

Why is he bathing here?

Won’t he return to his own bedroom tonight?

Vivianne, who had hoped to sleep alone, grew increasingly anxious.

* * *

A while later, he emerged from his bath, lay down beside her, and pulled her curled-up body into his arms.

Through his open robe, his firm bare chest was visible, emanating the scent of soap. When her soft br*asts pressed against it, he exhaled a languid breath. Simultaneously, she felt his manhood growing against her.

She didn’t want this tonight. She felt listless and didn’t want to do anything.

Vivianne squeezed her eyes shut, deliberately trying to ignore him.

“Vivi.”

Just as she was about to drift off, a soft voice reached her ear, but she didn’t answer.

“You’re not sleeping.”

Had he known she was awake all along? He pressed his lips to her forehead, seemingly checking her temperature. Vivianne forcibly held her breath.

“No fever. Why are you so lifeless?”

“…Sleepy.”

She answered reluctantly without opening her eyes.

“I want to sleep, Kian.”

When she tried to curl up more tightly, her body was suddenly flipped over, and her back met the bedding.

“Open your eyes.”

“…”

“I said open your eyes.”

Under his insistence, she reluctantly opened her drowsy eyes.

She met the gaze of the man straddling her, looking down with empty eyes. Her body felt completely drained of strength. Vivianne merely blinked slowly.

“I want to be good to you. Why do you treat me like this?”

He appeared deeply dejected.

“Answer me.”

He had a point. He had cared for her as attentively as Matilda would have. By all accounts, Kian was treating her well.

But thinking about what had happened today made her chest feel tight with suffocation, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“Ah, is this about Theo?”

Kian struck right at the core of the issue, seemingly having waited for this moment.

She had been thinking about it all along but didn’t want to argue, so she shook her head.

“What do you mean it’s not? You were answering quite clearly earlier. Yes, it’s because of Theo.”

As expected, he didn’t believe her.

No, he looked like someone who had already decided to interrogate her and had no intention of believing anything she said. His expression darkened further.

“Why? Did you two roll around together? Or were you planning to, and I interrupted?”

“What are you saying?”

For a moment, Vivianne couldn’t believe her ears. It was a vulgar accusation she couldn’t have imagined.

She knew Kian was particularly sharp with Theodore and unusually concerned about him, but she never expected it would go this far.

Her entire body froze stiff.

“I told you. Theo is my person.”

“…”

“So I tried not to think strange thoughts, but you keep making me do so.”

Suddenly, he got up and started dressing again. An ominous feeling made the hair on her body stand on end.

His expression was clearly troubling.

After putting on his pants and shirt, he strode briskly toward the door.

“K-Kian! Where are you going?”

“None of your business.”

Though he didn’t answer where he was headed, his back view showed he was thoroughly angry.

It was clear he was going to the knights’ quarters to harm Theodore right now.

She had to stop him.

Vivianne, pale with fear, rushed to the door.

“Kian. P-please!”

She grabbed his waist from behind as he held the doorknob, clinging desperately.

“Th-Theo is just a friend. I swear I’ve never had those kinds of thoughts about him. I-I’m telling the truth!”

“Friend? Who told you to be that?”

She had frantically made excuses, but the word “friend” she carelessly blurted out seemed to anger him even more.

“You’re so naive. Male creatures don’t have such pure relationships. They’ll use that as an excuse to watch and wait for their chance. I’ve told you repeatedly not to let your guard down.”

“…”

“And do you really think I don’t know who gave you that ribbon? Do you think I look foolish because I don’t mention everything?”

Goodness, he seemed to already know the ribbon was from Theodore.

She felt the blood drain from her entire body.

“The r-ribbon was just…”

“There is no ‘just.’ It’s marking territory. That’s what it is.”

Even as he spoke, his anger kept rising, and he exhaled heated breaths.

“I trusted him with your protection, and our dear Theo did something quite clever.”

The blame kept falling on innocent Theodore. She had to stop him at all costs. Trembling, Vivianne squeezed her eyes shut.

“Theo did nothing wrong. I was the one who asked him to be friends first…”

He grabbed her wrists wrapped around his waist and changed their position.

With a thud, she felt a dull pain in her back as she was suddenly trapped between him and the door. The moment their eyes met, he warned her sharply.

“Don’t you dare take another man’s side in front of me.”

He used the word “dare” again.

Humiliation pressed down on her chest. It was a word that seemed to personally remind her how different their positions were.

“I’m not taking sides… I mean… I was wrong, Kian.”

Vivianne pleaded once more, “I needed someone to talk to… I wanted to talk about you, but had nowhere to go. That’s why I did it.”

Her voice trembled with sobs. Hearing that voice brought intense self-loathing.

She had only needed a place to share her innermost thoughts.

In her monotonous daily life, the only people she could meet were Matilda or Theodore, and since she couldn’t worry Matilda every time, she had spoken without much thought.

“Everyone here hates me.”

Looking back, it had been that way from the beginning.

Because the master had picked her up when she collapsed n*ked on the beach.

Sometimes because she took someone’s place and served tea at the master’s command. Or because the master personally put shoes on her feet.

Because she slept late, n*ked in the master’s bed, and was a woman the master took whenever he had time.

Everyone whispered behind her back that she didn’t know her place, or that her life was pitiful, but no one wanted to get close to her.

Besides Kian, she had only two people to rely on.

“I was wrong. I was thoughtless… I upset you. I won’t make friends anymore. I didn’t do it with bad intentions. I didn’t know you would hate it so much. So please…”

…don’t hurt Theo.

She couldn’t bring herself to say the last part.

She feared he would become enraged again if she appeared to take someone else’s side.

“You’re the only male for me, Kian. I mean it.”

Vivianne threw her arms around Kian’s neck. Usually, he enjoyed when she clung to his neck.

She embraced him, desperately hoping her sincerity would reach him.

“Then prove it.”

Only a cold answer came back.

“What?”

“Prove that I’m the only man for you. Right now, in front of me.”

“How…”

Her mind went blank.

“Do I have to tell you that too?”

Clear mockery spread across his face. He seemed to have no intention of helping her.

Rather, he deliberately removed Vivianne’s arms from around his neck.

Vivianne didn’t know what to do. Usually, even when she remained still, Kian would come to her on his own.

If she tried to do something she had learned, he would get angry, demanding to know who had taught her such things. Because of this, she had no idea how to prove herself to him.

“Please hold me, Kian.”

Even to herself, she sounded foolish saying this.

“I want to be in your arms and have your baby.”

…There was nothing else she could do.

Self-loathing consumed her.

“I told you to prove it, so why are you asking me?”

“…”

“Well. You can’t do anything on your own. Or maybe you never intended to in the first place. You can’t live without me, can you?”

She had knowledge from what Countess Spencer had taught her, but she feared he would get angry if she used it.

What should she do?

It would help if he gave her even a small hint.

“I’ve spoiled you by saying how pretty you are. I’ve licked and sucked you on my own initiative, and now you have no manners.”

His tone was like scolding a child, making her shoulders instinctively hunch.

“Make me aroused with your skills. Make me believe you.”

She didn’t want to cry, yet tears were already streaming down her dry cheeks.

“…”

With trembling hands, Vivianne pulled up her negligee. As she removed the thin nightgown, her snow-white n*ked body was fully exposed. After bathing her earlier, Kian hadn’t put panties on her.

Perhaps he had deliberately done so for the purpose of mating.

She covered her br*asts with both arms and looked up at him. As tears welled up in her doe-like eyes, she saw his lips twist.

“Such a pretty thing.”

Under his touch, the mounds of her br*asts that had been hidden were fully exposed.

“Hiding won’t work, Vivi.”