“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

“I don’t understand why the person who will soon marry me keeps trying to distance herself. Once the wedding happens, you’ll become the Duchess of Juan. As my wife, you’ll hold the greatest power. Will you still act like this even after your status is elevated? I’d prefer if you started acting appropriately now.”

There was a clear sense of disappointment in his voice.

Ertel listened quietly, lowering her eyelids. If this had been before her regression, she would have been deeply moved, perhaps even to the point of tears. But now, those words simply sounded ridiculous.

Ertel calmly questioned him.

“Then why me?”

“What?”

“I’ve heard that you’ve always been a staunch bachelor, someone who had no intention of marrying. I’ve also heard that you’ve refused to meet with many noblewomen, rejecting them outright.”

“That’s true. All of it.”

“Then why did you choose me?”

“…”

“Why would you choose someone like me, with no family and no notable status?”

Icarus swallowed hard. Her pointed question left his mouth dry.

‘This woman… she’s not someone to take lightly. Ertel….’

He had thought she was just a foolish commoner. While her behavior was sometimes irritating, she had been surprisingly composed for a woman bearing the Kaiya stone mark.

‘Well, it would be strange if she didn’t ask.’

Her guarded demeanor only intrigued him further, stirring a strange sense of competitiveness within him.

After a brief pause, Icarus gently kissed the back of her hand. He had prepared a line to melt her icy heart.

“I fell in love at first sight.”

“…”

“You were so beautiful in the forest.”

It was true that Ertel was beautiful.

“And I fell in love with you.”

That, however, was a lie.

>><<

After dinner, Ertel lay in her room, lost in thought.

The moon had risen high, and the clock struck midnight. She knew she should go to bed, but instead of feeling drowsy, her heart was racing.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what Icarus had said earlier.

[I fell in love at first sight.]

A lie.

She knew it was a lie, yet she kept replaying it in her mind. She kept wanting to believe it.

Even though she knew that believing in it would only lead to her death… why was her resolve wavering?

“Marriage…”

If her memories before the regression were correct, the wedding would take place within a month. Of course, she could choose to refuse the marriage.

But Ertel had decided not to do that.

Her opponent was the most powerful duke in the Tiamor Kingdom.

To defeat him, she needed power. She was willing to become his wife, to use the title of Duchess to gather strength and allies.

To give him the most glorious death possible…

‘Boom! Crash!’

Suddenly, rain began pelting the windows, accompanied by a deafening roar. The night sky lit up with flashes of lightning, followed by thunderous claps.

“Oh my!”

Startled, Ertel dove under her blanket. The thunder was so overwhelming, it felt as though the gods themselves were angry.

Memories of her childhood surfaced in her mind.

Back when she lived in a small cabin in the forest with her mother. Whenever young Ertel was frightened by thunder, her mother, Anna, would pat her back and sing to her.

[Don’t cry, my dear. The god Muspell will protect us.]

Her mother’s warm voice had always been enough to soothe her. Even in their shabby little home, those moments together were enough.

But her mother was no longer here…

What they had once faced together, she now had to endure alone.

Trembling under the blanket, Ertel mocked herself.

“Ha, haha.”

Frightened by something as trivial as this.

“How can I even think of seeking revenge when I’m scared of thunder and lightning?”

Could someone as cowardly as her really carry out revenge?

Her resolve faltered for a moment.

Then,

‘Bang!’

The sound of a door opening startled her. Ertel flinched and lowered the blanket.

“…!”

To her surprise, Icarus had entered her room.

He was dressed in luxurious silk pajamas, his toned muscles subtly visible.

His calm eyes were fixed on her.

Those eyes—like blazing red flames that could trap her in place—caused a stir deep within her heart.

His irresistible gaze seemed to pierce through her.

Ertel, forgetting that she was in her own nightgown, found herself staring at him in a daze.

In a low voice, he spoke.

“I came because I thought you might be scared.”

“What?”

“Are you alright?”

For such a trivial reason.

He had used the thunderstorm as an excuse to enter a woman’s room.

Ertel swallowed hard, trying to make sense of the situation. It was true that she had been frightened by the storm, but she had never wished for him to come rushing to her.

“Yes, I’m fine. There was no need for you to come, my lord…”

“You say you’re fine, but your face is pale.”

“…”

“And your body is all curled up.”

“I just woke up because of the noise.”

“It seems you’re unhappy that I came.”

“It’s not that… I’m not a child, my lord. I wouldn’t be scared over something like this.”

“To me, you look like a child. No, even more than that, you look anxious.”

“…!”

“Like a child left alone by the water.”

The way he said such things so casually was unfamiliar to her. Outside, the rain continued to pour relentlessly.

‘Whoosh.’

Ertel watched the rain for a moment. At the same time, she tried to compose herself, determined not to be swept up in his atmosphere.

With survival in mind, she forced herself to smile and stood up from the bed. Approaching Icarus, she spoke in a calm tone.

“Thank you for coming to check on me. Thanks to you, I think I’ll sleep well tonight. So please, my lord, return to your room and rest.”

Icarus silently stared at her face.

“…”

“Well then, goodnight, my lord.”

‘Whoosh.’

Suddenly, his strong arms wrapped around her chest. The warmth of his breath brushed against the back of her neck.

Icarus had embraced her from behind without permission.

“M-My lord…”

She was so shocked that she could barely speak.

“Ertel.”

The butterfly-shaped mark on her neck shimmered, igniting his excitement. Just looking at it made energy surge through his body.

Unable to resist, Icarus lightly kissed the nape of her neck.

‘Smooch.’

“Ah…”

The unexpected sensation left Ertel frozen. It felt as though her hands and feet had been bound, rendering her immobile.

Taking advantage of her vulnerability, he murmured.

“I’ll stay with you tonight.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Though it was a situation ripe for misunderstanding, his words were genuine. Tonight, he simply wanted to stay by her side, nothing more and nothing less.

Icarus gently laid her down on the bed and took the spot beside her.

“My lord…”

He embraced her from behind as she turned her face away in embarrassment. Her small, soft body fit perfectly in his arms, and the sensation was incredibly pleasant.

‘So this is how it ends tonight…’

He showed no intention of leaving.

Ertel squirmed slightly but eventually gave up. The firm muscles of his chest pressing against her back, his strong arms capable of easily overpowering her—it was all too overwhelming.

More than anything, his presence made her body temperature rise. She held her breath, afraid she might let out a shaky exhale.

Icarus carefully tucked her flowing orange hair behind her ear.

“Ertel.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“It must have been hard living alone in the forest.”

What sweet lie would he tell this time?

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore. You don’t have to face thunder and lightning alone. I’m here with you.”

“…”

“From now on, live happily in my arms like this.”

“Ha…”

“That’s all you need to do.”

Ertel felt her restrained breath about to escape.

Her memories of the past were still vivid. She remembered how deeply she had loved him. How foolishly she had believed his words and loved him with all her heart.

[I love you, Icarus.] she had once cried out.

But she would never love him again.

The love she had once given him would remain in the past, and that would be enough.

So she prayed that he wouldn’t dig deeper into her heart.

“Ertel… are you crying?”

The tears were unintentional.

Seeing this, Icarus looked momentarily flustered before a smile formed on his lips.

“I didn’t say that to make you cry, but still…”

Was it a smile of relief that his plan had worked? Or was it a smile of genuine affection because he found her endearing?

It was undoubtedly the former.

She could no longer believe it was the latter.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, like a waterfall.

As she hurriedly wiped them away, she screamed inwardly.

‘These tears aren’t for you. They’re for my past self—betrayed by the husband I trusted, killed by him, and too blind to see it coming. I will never forgive you. These tears are my resolve.’

Ertel, already beautiful, looked even more so with tears streaming down her face.

And seeing her like this stirred an uncontrollable desire within Icarus.

“Ertel, just your presence is a blessing to me.”

Without hesitation, Icarus claimed her lips.

Overwhelmed by his strength, she had no choice but to endure the kiss, her tears mingling with it.