“…Vivi.”

A soft voice penetrated her drowsy consciousness. The sensation of something nibbling and sucking somewhere on her body made her eyelashes flutter involuntarily.

“Vivi.”

Without fail, he would sweetly call her nickname. For several days now, Vivianne had been waking up the same way. Opening her eyes groggily, she would find him mounted on top of her. Usually, he would be sucking her br*asts alternately until they felt raw, or sometimes he would be sucking her lips breathlessly, or even licking between her legs.

Did Kian actually sleep? She couldn’t tell what he did throughout the night. She always fell asleep in his arms, practically unconscious, and when she opened her eyes, he was already awake.

“Ahh…”

As she awakened more fully, her sensations became increasingly vivid. When she gasped and finally released the breath she’d been holding due to his stimulation, he would pause briefly and gaze down at her intently, looking as though he rightfully expected something in return. Naturally, Vivianne yielded without resistance.

Wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing their lips together with a soft touch, only then would a satisfied smile spread across his face. It was a clearly obligatory consent to mating.

“Good morning.”

This immediately led to intercourse. Only after Kian had cl*maxed inside her twice would he briefly wash her body.

Breakfast was brought to the bedroom. She had heard he typically skipped breakfast, which might explain why he focused solely on feeding her rather than eating himself.

Vivianne accepted each morsel like a baby bird, taking whatever was offered. Only after feeding her to his satisfaction would Kian head to his office.

* * *

“Shall we take a walk?”

After a short nap in the morning, Kian would return. Following lunch together, he would ritually suggest a walk.

Vivianne shook her head.

“Why not?”

“…My legs hurt a bit.”

“Let me see.”

Whenever she made excuses about pain, he would massage the stiff areas that had been strained from accommodating him, applying oil and kneading firmly.

“Are you injured? You said the same thing yesterday.”

“No, I feel better now that you’ve massaged it.”

“I’ll call the doctor.”

Even if he called one, they wouldn’t find anything wrong. It was a lie, after all.

“…Thank you.”

Still, she knew Kian would only be reassured after having a doctor confirm.

“Aren’t you feeling cooped up? You haven’t gone out for days.”

Not particularly. When she recalled their walks together, she didn’t feel much desire to go outside. In the glass greenhouse, he had taken her on a table. In the fields, they had mated while embracing on a blanket, and when he offered to let her ride his horse, they ended up doing it in the stable.

Moreover, leaving the room meant inevitably facing the employees. It was the same wherever they went. She could feel sidelong glances, though people pretended not to look. Even trying to convince herself it was just her imagination didn’t help. They had done it all over the mansion, after all.

She kept wondering if people were acting strange because they had heard her and Kian’s lovemaking sounds. It bothered her constantly. At this point, if their bodies needed to join anyway, the comfortable bed seemed preferable. It was easier on both her body and mind.

“I’m fine,” Vivianne told the same lie today. This way, there wouldn’t be any problems.

“Having you is enough for me.”

Like the chocolate he had fed her, it was merely a sweet lie that filled a momentary hunger.

“You’re beautiful.”

How strange.

The more I lose myself.

The more you lose me.

The more you shine.

She couldn’t bring herself to voice the peculiar feelings rising within her.

* * *

“…Vivi.”

Morning again, she thought.

“Vivi.”

The voice in her ear was definitely Kian’s.

No, was she still dreaming?

Despite him repeatedly calling her name, she couldn’t quite wake up, which was unusual. The familiar heavy weight on her body and the sensation of skin being nibbled and sucked were absent.

So it really must be a dream.

…I want to sleep more.

Vivianne curled her body into a tighter ball.

“Wake up for a moment.”

Touch.

The sensation of lips pressing against her forehead and then pulling away was vivid.

What’s happening? Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Kian already fully dressed in outdoor attire.

“I’m heading out.”

“Kian, where are you going?”

“To the capital. I have some business to attend to. It’ll take about three or four days.”

This was a first. Him telling her his destination before leaving and even when he would return.

It felt strange.

“Stay in my room instead of here. You can see the ocean from there, and the bathtub is larger, so you won’t feel as confined.”

“…Alright.”

She wasn’t particularly eager to do so, but she didn’t dare refuse either.

Would she be alone for the next three or four days after Kian left?

Since that day, it had been difficult to meet with Matilda. With Kian handling all the bathing and feeding, Matilda’s role had essentially become unnecessary.

The thought of waiting for Kian alone in an empty room made her chest tighten.

“Spend time with Matilda while I’m gone.”

Had he read her worried thoughts? Kian gently smoothed her disheveled hair and met her eyes reassuringly.

“I’ll assign guards again so you can go out if you want. Understand?”

Instead of answering, Vivianne placed a brief kiss on his lips.

* * *

What is this?

Sitting on a sofa in the capital’s salon, Kian let out a bemused laugh. The reason was the small creature wagging its tail at his feet and meeting his gaze.

It was clearly a young puppy with an innocent look.

“Where did this little one run off to?”

Before he could look for the owner, a middle-aged noblewoman hurriedly approached. She was Countess Lamor, the owner of this salon.

“Duke Larson, I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Not at all. The puppy is quite adorable.”

“Thank you for understanding. She’s a good girl, but she’s so energetic that she occasionally causes trouble like this.”

Kian picked up the puppy at his feet and handed it to Countess Lamor.

“Oh my, this little one. What’s gotten into you?”

The puppy, now in its owner’s arms, seemed displeased about something, whimpering and flailing its short limbs. It kept its eyes fixed on Kian, sparkling with such longing that it looked almost pitiful.

“I suppose since we’re both female, she prefers a handsome gentleman like yourself over me.”

“If it’s not too presumptuous, may I hold her for a moment?”

It was an impulsive question. Countess Lamor smiled willingly.

“Of course. You’ve finally gotten your wish, haven’t you, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth—what a name. Had it been raised with special care? It seemed too elegant a name for a mere puppy.

He had heard that noblewomen enjoyed keeping small dogs.

It was so small and seemingly insignificant, looking as though it might break if held too tightly.

Taking it carefully into his arms, Elizabeth seemed delighted, nuzzling her head against him and enthusiastically licking Kian’s chin. The bothersome sensation wasn’t particularly unpleasant.

“These days, this little one is my joy in life. I love her more than my husband.”

“Do you keep her in your room?”

“Yes. When I return from outings, somehow she knows it’s me. I can hear her scratching at the door with her claws from the end of the corridor. When I open the door, she whimpers with joy and jumps into my arms. It gives me such a healing feeling. And she only does this with me, not with the maids. Once I realized that, I couldn’t bear to leave her behind. I had to bring her along.”

“She’s clever. She must recognize your footsteps.”

“Indeed. That’s why I stayed cooped up in my room for a while. I even left the salon in someone else’s hands until recently. I missed this little one so much… I eventually brought her with me. Silly of me, isn’t it?”

She wasn’t someone he was particularly close with. Normally, he wouldn’t enjoy listening to such trivial stories, but for some reason today, he was listening quite attentively.

“If you like puppies, would you like to have one? As it happens, my relative’s dog just had puppies.”

He wasn’t particularly drawn to the idea.

Fragile and bothersome.

One high-maintenance being in his life was enough.

“Please, I would appreciate it. I’ll compensate you generously.”

Nevertheless, Kian decided to acquire a puppy.

Perhaps giving her something just like this would make her smile even within the confines of her room.

Just as he himself had started smiling more often lately.

That was the insignificant thought that crossed his mind.

* * *

During the daytime, Vivianne visited the bustling market with Matilda. They stopped at a pastry shop to buy sweets and observed the people around them. When she heard about having an escort, she had hoped to see Theodore again, but his deputy Allen accompanied them instead.

Allen would be her escort whenever she needed one for short outings like today.

Would she never see Theo again? Though saddened, she was grateful he hadn’t been harmed. Matilda said they could still meet occasionally, even without him being her escort.

Vivianne knew these were just consoling words. Though feeling melancholy, she nodded without showing it, not wanting her sadness to affect Matilda.

She deliberately smiled more brightly in Matilda’s presence. She wanted to pretend everything was fine, and needed it to be.

After returning to the room, she ate dinner, took a bath in Kian’s large tub with flower petals floating on the water, and went to bed earlier than usual.

Vivianne woke up when she heard a strange sound.