Matilda brought dinner and dessert all at once. After making such a fuss about being starving…

Kian’s interest seemed to be elsewhere.

Focusing solely on feeding her, he started his own meal only after Vivianne had finished hers. While persistently sucking the remaining milk, he was almost overbearing in his attentiveness, giving her water and making sure she had dessert, concerned she might collapse from exhaustion.

After their marathon-like mating session with meals interspersed, an exhausted Vivianne lay nestled in his arms.

“…Kian.”

Vivianne, who had been tracing the scar on his left chest with her fingertips, spoke first.

“Did you really mean to stab it?”

“What?”

“Your heart. You tried to stab it twice, didn’t you?”

“Ah, that.”

Kian laughed awkwardly, seeming a bit embarrassed.

“Do I really have to talk about it?”

“Yes. Please be honest with me. I won’t let you off easy if you lie.”

To him, it was merely an adorable threat, but she seemed quite serious.

Looking back, it was indeed twice.

The first time, he had pulled her trembling hand toward himself when she couldn’t bring herself to stab him. The second time, he had tried to stab himself to prevent her from turning into sea foam.

“Well?”

Did she really want to hear it? Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the darkness. Kian held her gaze quietly, then smoothed her disheveled hair and answered.

“Honestly, at first I thought you wouldn’t be able to stab me. I just wanted to scare you.”

“Even so, how could you just try to stab your own chest?”

“I know, right?”

Vivianne, now pouting, punched his chest lightly.

“The second time, well, I had no choice.”

“…Why?”

“When I thought about you disappearing without a trace, I felt I had to do something. Without you, I didn’t have the confidence to go on living.”

Vivianne’s gaze lowered.

On that day when the red moon rose, if they had been just a little later, Kian wouldn’t be here now. The thought made her heart heavy.

“…It must have hurt. You were stabbed and bled a lot.”

“It’s fine.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

When Kian shook his head lightly, Vivianne warned him primly.

“It did hurt. But looking back now, I quite like it.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a medal you gave me.”

A medal? Come to think of it, the scar was positioned exactly over his heart.

Wearing a medal over the heart symbolized engraving honor in one’s chest. Kian had told her this fact before.

Still, it seemed too much. Rather than an honor, it was still a painful memory for both of them.

“It’s just an injury. What medal are you talking about?”

“For me, it is a medal. Because it’s a mark you gave me. I like anything from you.”

Even though she was grumbling with lowered eyelashes, Kian smiled faintly and pressed a moist kiss to her forehead.

The sensation of his lips against her skin was warm.

How silly. While inwardly chiding him, she couldn’t help but let a small laugh escape.

“Then would you like me to make one for you too?”

“What?”

“A medal.”

This was the first time. The first time she had brought it up herself.

She had always fallen for his teasing, but this was the first time she had directly asked for it.

“On your heart, just like you always make for me.”

Vivianne smiled broadly and pointed to her left br*ast.

Kian’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“I thought you disliked it.”

“I just felt empty without one.”

She had always pouted at his mischievous “medals,” but today she felt she could smile more brightly than anyone.

Her body was quickly flipped over, her back touching the bedding.

“I’ll make it pretty for you.”

His lips, which had been warm against her forehead, quickly grew hot against her heart.

* * *

As usual, Vivianne and Marchioness Baldwin were quietly embroidering while drinking tea after lunch.

“Hey, Vivi.”

It was Marchioness Baldwin who broke the afternoon silence.

Pausing her embroidery on a baby bib, Vivianne looked up.

“Are you planning never to go to Larson?”

“Pardon?”

When the Marchioness brought up something she had never asked before, Vivianne opened her eyes wide.

“Mother, do you want me to go to Larson?”

“Well, rather than wanting it, I think it’s about time for you to go.”

“Why?”

She’s rather oblivious, so it’s better to be direct. After a moment’s consideration, Marchioness Baldwin answered calmly.

“It’s becoming awkward for me to keep you here.”

“Did Kian say something to you? That he wants to take me away?”

Sounding worried and flustered, Vivianne’s voice rose slightly.

“No, that’s not it. Actually…”

“Please be honest with me, Mother. This is an important matter for me.”

Vivianne grasped the Marchioness’s hands with both of hers and pleaded. She thought she had come to her senses after the baby was born. She was still worried that Kian might be intimidating her behind her back.

Looking at Vivianne, Marchioness Baldwin made a slightly uncomfortable expression before continuing.

“I’ve been losing sleep because of you two lately.”

Was she so worried that she couldn’t sleep?

From what Josephine had told her before, it was unusual for humans to use different surnames and live separately from their mates after having offspring. Usually, they did so because they didn’t get along. But she and Kian got along well. So she thought there wouldn’t be a problem.

‘She must have brought this up because she’s worried about that issue.’

Had her childish stubbornness caused those around her to worry? She felt sorry.

“You don’t need to worry. Kian and I are getting along well.”

“Yes, I know you two are getting along. In fact, you’re getting along too well, and that’s the problem.”

Vivianne had thought explaining her relationship with Kian would be enough.

But the Marchioness’s response was completely different from what she had imagined.

“What do you mean?”

“I understand your fire has been rekindled after a long time, but I’m a light sleeper, you see.”

“Light sleeper?”

“Since last week, I’ve been losing sleep because of the sounds coming from your room all night.”

Vivianne’s face suddenly flushed as she processed what that meant.

It was last week when she and Kian had become intimate, and Kian had canceled all his weekday schedules to stay at Baldwin Manor.

And every night, he had snuck into Vivianne’s room under the pretext of giving her a massage. They had been mating all week, so those sounds must have leaked out.

Unaware of this, she had been crying out and staying entangled all night. What an embarrassment.

“…”

Vivianne became speechless.

“He may be an ill-mannered fellow, but I suppose he has no shortcomings in that department? Judging by how you’re in ecstasy every dawn, far from having shortcomings, he’s quite…”

“I-I’m sorry. I, from now on, absolutely… I won’t…”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You already have children together. It’s not strange that you have good chemistry.”

Marchioness Baldwin cut her off firmly.

“Is there another reason why you won’t go to Larson?”

“Well…”

“From your perspective, I admit you might still find that fellow untrustworthy.”

Vivianne slowly shook her head at the Marchioness’s speculation.

“I know Kian is trying. I feel good when I see him, and I miss him when I can’t. But I don’t understand my own feelings.”

“If something’s bothering you, feel free to talk about it.”

After being lost in thought for a moment, Vivianne spoke.

“If I go to Larson, will I be able to stay with Matilda and Theo?”

“For that issue, you can make it a condition. Say that you’ll go to Larson on the condition that you take those two with you.”

It wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Since they had already left Larson because of her, it could be awkward for Matilda and Theodore. The same would be true for Kian, the master of Larson.

“And most importantly, I would have to be separated from you, Mother.”

“You’re not a child anymore, stop being clingy. I can come visit you often.”

“Still…”

How silly. While chiding her, a ticklish smile spread across Marchioness Baldwin’s face.

Vivianne lowered her eyelashes, seemingly having more thoughts the more she spoke.

“Hey, Vivi. Aren’t you afraid of anything else?”

“…Anything else?”

“Yes. Let’s think about it this way. For instance, what if the Duke of Larson brings in another woman as his wife?”

“Kian with another woman?”

“Yes. Noble houses need a mistress. The Duke of Larson can’t leave that position vacant forever.”

She had given birth to Larson’s heir but had refused to become Vivianne von Larson. Leaving the compass with her name engraved on it at Larson was itself a sign of refusal.

They had been separated and reunited, but they still hadn’t discussed this matter.

“If you persistently decline, he’ll have to bring in another woman as the nominal mistress. Are you really okay with that?”

What if another woman appeared beside Kian? Could she tolerate that?

“…”

Vivianne couldn’t continue speaking. Honestly, she disliked the idea. But when she considered whether she was in a position to say she disliked it, it seemed somewhat shameless.

The time would come eventually. She decided to think about it again later. Perhaps she had been postponing thinking about this matter with such a complacent attitude.

“I should tell you my story.”

The Marchioness, who had been watching silently, took something out from the side table and held it out.

It looked like a pendant with a lid and a gold string attached. Even at a glance, it appeared luxurious.

“Is it a compass?”

“It looks similar to what you had, doesn’t it? But if you open it like this, it’s a pocket watch.”

As the Marchioness said, when she opened the lid, she saw intricately designed hands and numbers.

A ‘watch’ was a device that told time, she had been told. She hadn’t had much use for it, but she had learned how to read a watch from Matilda. Vivianne looked back and forth between the grandfather clock in the corner of the room and the pocket watch.

The times were different. Upon closer inspection, the one the Marchioness had given her was stopped.

“It’s not moving.”

“It’s broken. I bought it long ago for my grandchild. That child was also spoiled and pampered like you. One day, the child pestered me for a new watch. I scolded the child not to talk nonsense but secretly bought one. I was planning to give it as a birthday present later, worried about spoiling the child. But before I could…”

The Marchioness smiled sadly.

“It was a carriage accident. Now only this watch remains. I should have given it right away. Why did I postpone it? I thought ‘later’ was guaranteed to me. I was foolish to think there would be a perfect moment. For an old woman like me, each day is precious. I don’t want you to waste precious days by hesitating.”

“…”

“Vivi, no wound heals perfectly. Even if scars remain, what matters is that new flesh has grown.”

Some people consider scars to be medals. The male who tried to offer his heart to prevent her from turning into sea foam thought so.

Vivianne silently touched her left chest. It was where Kian had marked his medal.

“Imagine you don’t have a ‘later,’ and think about what your heart truly feels.”