From now on, he needed to treat Daphne really well. If he gave her gifts wrapped in pretend sincerity and acted affectionately toward her.

In other words, if he acted kindly like a real husband instead of a contractual relationship.

Wouldn’t she take back the divorce and end up staying with him?

He absolutely couldn’t stand his perfect life plan being derailed because of one small woman named Daphne.

He couldn’t bear himself being shaken like this because of a doll he’d carefully raised.

This was nothing less than an experiment for Astaire.

If Daphne was truly leaving him because of love, because of that d*mn cursed love.

That measly love—he just needed to give her a little.

In the end, wasn’t confirming that invisible emotion just a matter of showing an affectionate attitude?

If she returned to his arms with that imitation of love, he would be satisfied.

He wanted to confirm it.

Whether that woman, Daphne, was truly weak to love.

To him, she seemed strong.

Someone who wouldn’t be swept away by the foolish emotion called love. That’s why he’d chosen Daphne.

But he’d been wrong.

Astaire hoped his choice in selecting her wasn’t mistaken.

That’s why he wanted to confirm it.

If I give you love, will you truly return to me?

“Can you stop the carriage for a moment?”

Astaire looked out the window and spoke quietly. Even at his low voice, the coachman quickly understood and turned around.

“Pardon? Yes.”

“I’ll stop by a flower shop briefly.”

Astaire got out of the carriage and stopped at the most famous flower shop in the capital.

The shop owner recognized him and attended to the Duke with a trembling voice.

“From here to here, wrap everything up for me.”

Despite roses being the most expensive flowers this season making up most of the selection, Astaire requested everything from the entire display be wrapped.

After buying the roses, he next stopped at a wine shop. After purchasing the most expensive wine in the store, he finally headed to the ducal estate.

Astaire headed to the study where Daphne spent most of her time in the mansion. Sure enough, Daphne was there today as well.

“Y-Your Grace…?”

To his wife who was visibly flustered at seeing him, the man corrected her once more.

“You should call me Astaire, Daphne.”

“…”

Even the woman hardening her expression, seemingly displeased with that form of address, was forgivable just for today.

Somehow, though he hadn’t drunk a single drop of alcohol, he felt like he’d get drunk the moment he looked at this woman.

Astaire placed a bouquet of roses in her arms.

“What is this…?”

“You can see for yourself.”

Daphne stared at Astaire with an expression of disbelief even while looking at it. The emotion in her blue eyes was clear distrust.

Yes, distrust me once and distrust me again.

You’ll still fall for me again anyway.

He tightened his arm around Daphne. After trying to escape his embrace but eventually losing strength, she soon went limp.

“It doesn’t match your beauty.”

“…”

“But it’s my heart, so I hope you’ll accept it.”

Daphne raised her head to look at Astaire. She seemed suspicious, like she was trying to figure out his intentions.

Astaire didn’t avoid her gaze. Rather, he stared directly at her.

He hoped she would gain strong conviction from his unwavering eyes.

So come back to me.

Your place isn’t outside the cage but inside my cage.

“You don’t need to see the gynecologist anymore.”

“What?”

Daphne asked back in shock.

“I think I’ve been putting too much pressure on you.”

“…”

“Children, heirs. We don’t need them. As long as we have you and me.”

Astaire clearly saw it.

Daphne’s trembling eyes.

Daphne opened her mouth like she wanted to say something to the end, but only her lips moved without any words coming out. She seemed to have many thoughts.

“What are you thinking about so much?”

As expected, no answer came. It didn’t matter.

From now on, he just needed to fill her head entirely with thoughts of him.

“So you should stop taking unnecessary medicine too. Like medicine that prevents pregnancy.”

Watching Daphne’s eyes widen in shock was enjoyable. The twisted sadistic tendency in Astaire’s heart awakened.

If I give you love, will you truly return to me?

If so, Daphne, you need love.

Your words about wanting to live your own life are lies.

You can’t live without me.

The man wanted to prove that fact to the woman. And he wanted to mock her.

“…Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

As expected, Daphne didn’t accept him readily. She was suspicious and doubtful. Exactly like the Daphne Astaire knew well.

“Why? Because.”

The Duke whispered in the sweetest voice imaginable.

“Accept it.”

When Daphne tried to return the bouquet, Astaire deliberately pushed it back with force. As he moved closer, hot air rushed in and reached Daphne.

The woman frowned slightly, seemingly uncomfortable with that heat.

“…I’ll just accept the sentiment.”

“Accept it. I said accept it.”

Under Astaire’s continued pressure, she finally surrendered. Reluctantly, Daphne accepted the bouquet he gave her.

Looking at her, Astaire smiled quietly.

As expected, you have no choice.

You have no choice but to kneel at my feet.

“Shall we have dinner together?”

Come to think of it, today was that day.

The day they ate together once a month.

Daphne seemed to remember that point just then too. But she wasn’t pleased at all. Rather, she frowned belatedly.

“Or how about something else?”

Today being the day the couple dined together meant.

It was also the day they shared a bed according to the contract.

And Astaire didn’t accept Daphne’s refusal on that day.

* * *

That night, the couple skipped dinner.

Instead, they consumed each other.

Even in the dark room without a single light, their dazzling n*ked bodies seemed to shine brightly.

Slender ankles, calves drawing soft curves, pure white thighs.

And the thicket covering the secret area.

Astaire dared to touch the forbidden territory. The moment his finger entered the opening, Daphne let out a turbid m*an.

“Ngh, mmh.”

Slowly, and subtly.

Astaire looked down at her with an utterly expressionless face, while not forgetting to please Daphne through his hand.

He observed which direction to attack inside would make her expression change with pleasure, then concentrated on tormenting that area.

“Ngh, haa… Mmh!”

Daphne writhed on the bed. The luxurious bed didn’t creak at all despite her rough movements. Only the white sheets became messily soaked.

“Now, stop now…”

Daphne, with tears slightly forming in her eyes, grabbed Astaire’s arm and pleaded. Hearing her plea, Astaire just grinned.

Soon after, instead of the man’s fingers, his p*nis filled her completely.

“Ngh, mm… Ah!”

Daphne looked up at Astaire filling her and grimaced.

Astaire liked that expression of hers. Her face scrunching up and grimacing while looking at him. A strange taste had developed that could be called sadistic.

Astaire overlapped his hand with hers, digging his body deep into Daphne’s.

The firm male body and soft female body tangled together completely.

Legs prominent with solid muscle and bone wrapped around legs soft and white like peaches.

Each time he poked the woman, heated m*ans flowed from her lips.

“Haa, mm, ngh! Mmm… Ngh, ah!”

It was music more pleasant to hear than any in the world.

On the bed, they shed all etiquette along with their clothes. Over Daphne’s dress, crumpled and thoroughly disheveled at their feet, fell the cravat Astaire had roughly loosened.

“Ah…”

Her throat was parched like she’d come to a desert. Nothing came out, like something was completely blocked around her neck. Her lower abdomen tingled, and it ached like her bottom would fall out.

Like waves crashing against rocks, all the sensations felt in her body splashed. While thinking it was hard to accept him filling her so tightly and firmly, when he actually moved away from her, she felt disappointed.

Between those contradictions, Daphne’s heart walked a tightrope precariously. Just then, Astaire grabbed her ankle and turned her body around.

“You love me.”

Her vision spun half a circle. She had to hear the man’s voice, heightened with excitement, from behind her.

“Say I’m right. That you still love me.”

No.

Daphne wanted to deny it.

I don’t love you anymore.

I truly regret having loved you.

But Astaire kept pushing her, seemingly unwilling to hear anything but affirmation.

It rained heavily that night.

It was a night when even the sound of rain was drowned out by the sounds they made.

The next morning, the sound of rain tapping the window woke Daphne.

The moment she threw off the blanket, along with the humid air, memories of the previous night rushed in together.

Daphne felt somehow embarrassed and burrowed back into the bed.

Looking out the window, heavy gray clouds hung in the sky. On the streets, rainwater lay like a thin film. The damp energy rose from her toes.

The sound of rain from outside was calm enough to make her forget time.

Naturally, her train of thought turned to Astaire from the previous night.

He had been more affectionate than usual.

And he had hurt her more than usual.

Daphne was distressed. She couldn’t properly identify what was tormenting her.

“The gynecologist won’t be coming anymore.”

What Astaire had said the day before seemed sincere. After spending the night with him, the gynecologist who used to come every early morning no longer visited. The head butler who used to carefully knock on the bedroom door never came again.

Why, all of a sudden?

Astaire had changed overnight.

The Duke’s sudden change wasn’t welcome at all.

Astaire being affectionate to me?

It sounds like a dream.

And she was no longer a girl living in dreams. She’d been worn down in the harshest reality. She also knew well how much people get hurt when they return to reality from dreams.

…For now, I need to wait and see.

Even with Astaire’s sudden change, there was nothing she could do right now.

She could only watch and respond slowly.

Thinking this, Daphne stretched in bed. Then she raised her heavy body.

She’d almost forgotten.

After spending the night with him, she naturally needed to take that medicine.

Though she now questioned whether she’d conceive Astaire’s child after failing to have one despite taking all sorts of good medicine, she still needed to prepare just in case.

Daphne climbed the stairs to the upper floor. She planned to enter the room she used alone and take the contraceptive medicine she’d received in advance from the back-alley pharmacist.