First, Daniel tried some light conversation before getting to the main point,

“What kind of books do you like best?”

Since she liked books, he thought it would be a good topic for breaking down emotional walls. The answer didn’t come right away. She would sometimes get lost in thought with round eyes like that.

Daniel didn’t rush and waited. After waiting patiently, she answered that books about the sea were interesting. The wait was worth it. The sea was his area of expertise, so he had lots to say.

Excitedly, he was about to bring up ships. First, he asked various questions to check exactly what kind of ships she was interested in.

However, seeing Lenore’s confused expression, Daniel became embarrassed at his own excitement. He knew that even people who liked ships moderately would get tired talking with him. Usually he restrained himself, but thinking she might share the same interest, his emotions got ahead of him.

At this rate, she wouldn’t be convinced that he could have intimacy without rushing into it.

The meal ended awkwardly and uncomfortably. He thought it would go well this time, but what went wrong? Was it getting excited and rushing into a topic he was confident about?

Daniel spent quite a long time in reflection before heading to the library. This time he was determined to have a truly calm conversation.

Though he tends to fumble whenever he sees her face, making his usual reputation for being cool-headed seem ridiculous, he had to try. They couldn’t maintain such an awkward marriage forever.

When he arrived at the library, sure enough, she was sleeping. She must have been reading until falling asleep, as a book lay open on her stomach.

Daniel routinely moved her book to the table and covered her with a blanket. Perhaps because his mind was troubled, for once looking at her sleeping form didn’t *rouse desires that day.

Today let’s wait until she wakes up. And try to talk. While maintaining reason calmly and coolly.

If he told her he would never be rough like their wedding night again, she might open her heart a little. Honestly, being sexually frustrated, he wasn’t confident he could maintain his reason well, but what else could he do? He had to try.

Daniel made his decision while gazing at her. But Lenore showed no signs of waking. His eyes fell on the book she had been reading.

“A title I’ve never seen before.”

It seemed to be her book. There was nothing else to do until she woke up. Curious about what she was reading, Daniel began to read the book.

“Why…?”

Much later, she asked in surprise as soon as she woke up. Before she could try to chase him away, Daniel mentioned the book. Since he had clearly read quite a bit, he also praised it, predicting it must be a book she liked.

Her response was explosive. She must have been a fan of this novel, as she poured out explanations about the interesting parts of the book.

He finally found a successful conversation topic. But her enthusiasm was short-lived as she kept talking about Count Tivonne. Daniel’s jealousy stirred.

How could she keep repeating “I like” about him while barely letting Daniel speak to her?

A character in the book. Though he knew it was pointless to be angry at a man who didn’t even exist, his mind kept twisting. He couldn’t control it with his will.

“I don’t think Count Tivonne seems like someone worthy of admiration.”

He failed to hide his petty feelings and made a mistake. Right after she had expressed liking Count Tivonne, blinded by jealousy, he had denied it.

Lenore’s face hardened. Though Daniel tried to take back his words saying he made a mistake, it was already too late. She left the library and never came there again.

“Idiot. Anemone. There’s no fool like you in the world!”

Though he bitterly regretted and cursed himself, she didn’t return. If she had drawn a line and tried not to cross it before, now she put up a wall thicker than a fortress city’s walls to block him. The kind of fortress city that couldn’t be breached even after a year of siege.

Even when they happened to meet in the corridor, she acted like she didn’t see him. She behaved as if Daniel Sillingdeer didn’t exist in her eyes. Even when he had a maid tell her he would be out and not returning today, she wouldn’t come see him off.

“She used to tell me to be careful and that she would wait!”

Daniel felt like crying. After waiting and waiting until her debut and finally succeeding in marriage, he had earned her hatred.

Her face coldly passing by kept haunting his mind. What if she ignored him like this for the rest of their lives?

“Count Tivonne, who are you to deserve this?”

Daniel hated Count Tivonne. Since he couldn’t hate Lenore even though she hated him, he hated Count Tivonne instead. For three days, he truly hated him to death.

On the fourth day, he was insanely envious of the man Lenore liked. If he had been a real person, Daniel would have gone to harass him. That’s how envious he was, to the point he was almost going crazy.

On the sixth day, a breakthrough came to the rarely-smiling, depressed Daniel.

“I can become Count Tivonne! Then she’ll like me too! Hahaha! I’ve found the answer!”

Daniel marked all the parts featuring Count Tivonne in Lenore’s white book. Then he began memorizing everything, copying down all his actions and lines on paper.

He spent all day writing and practicing speaking in front of the mirror, even practicing how to lean against walls.

He also prepared a cane. Because Count Tivonne always carried a cane. When he tapped it with an incantation, the bombs he had planted would explode.

Of course, Daniel only prepared the cane and excluded bombs from the plan. He wanted to win her favor by imitating the villain, not become a real villain.

In case she still didn’t recognize it, he even prepared a magic stone that played eerie music suitable for a villain.

All preparations were perfect. After waiting an hour in the corridor for Lenore to pass by, Daniel showed her the results of his practice.

“When I return, first get on the bed…”

But standing before her, he couldn’t remember Count Tivonne’s lines that he had memorized so well. Just looking into Lenore’s eyes made his mind go blank, and that familiar feeling of being n*ked made him unbearably embarrassed.

“J-just go to sleep!”

Unable to overcome his embarrassment, Daniel yelled at Lenore and ran away.

He banged his head against the wall and lamented. He had never felt such deep depression in his life. He felt so pathetic he wanted to disappear into the wall cracks.

He should have hired an actor for coaching. Then there wouldn’t have been this disaster of stumbling over words and failing to deliver lines properly. Maybe he should still hire an actor.

While he was muttering, Lenore called him from behind. Daniel was startled, not expecting her to be there.

“What do you mean by acting practice?”

Daniel’s panicked mind gave up, saying it couldn’t handle this anymore. Then his mouth started moving on its own.

“W-well, after reading the whole book, I found that you were right about Count Tivonne being an amazing man. It’s natural for a man to admire someone like Count Tivonne! Yes, so, well, I thought I might try to imitate him a bit…”

He didn’t even understand what he was saying himself. How much more confused must Lenore be? Cold sweat ran down Daniel’s back.

Lenore stared at him for a while before bursting into laughter.

Was she mocking him for daring to try imitating Count Tivonne?

Daniel’s shoulders slumped in shock.

“I see. Then, um, would you like me to help you practice? I know almost all of Count Tivonne’s lines.”

Daniel’s gaze lifted from the floor to her face.

Lenore was smiling. It didn’t seem like she was mocking him with a ‘how dare you’ attitude. Rather, it was gentle.

Could she actually believe his sudden excuse about coming to admire Count Tivonne whom he had criticized? How pure could she be!

Daniel wanted to hit his own mouth for deceiving her. But instead of hitting his mouth, he found himself nodding.

“Yes, if you would help– No! Please help me. Definitely!”

This was an opportunity. A perfect chance given to him while he was searching for ways to get closer to her.

Daniel clenched his fist and shouted. Though he felt things were going completely wrong somehow, he still thought it was good. Whatever happened couldn’t be worse than her hating him.

For that, he would endure any embarrassment.