Dain had planned to teach her dancing for just a moment, but before he knew it, they had been spinning around the lake for several rounds. Even though they were on ice in cold weather, the two were so absorbed in each other that they danced without noticing the passing time.

“Haha.”

A moment later, Liana laughed out loud and briefly separated from Dain. She grabbed her skirt with both hands like she had seen once at a festival, approached him with seductive movements, and wrapped one arm around his waist.

His hand also wrapped around her waist. The two looked into each other’s eyes and spun in place in that position.

“You seem to have seen it before.”

Dain said with a smile. He had thought she knew nothing about dancing, but seeing her do it, she seemed to know a little.

“I saw it at a festival. I also danced while performing in plays.”

“I see.”

“Aren’t you hot?”

Beads of sweat were visible on Liana’s forehead. Dain raised his hand to wipe away her sweat.

“No.”

Being a snake beast-human, he was weak to cold, but dancing with her was nice because he didn’t feel the chill. But it wasn’t hot enough to make him sweat.

“Wow, it’s snow.”

Liana, who got hit by a snowflake on her cheek below her eye, exclaimed with a joyful face.

Snow falling even though it was spring! The ducal territory was truly a place with ever-changing weather. Cherry blossom-like snowflakes scattered everywhere, then quickly became thick like cotton balls.

“Do you like snow?”

Dain seemed uninterested in the snow and kept looking only at her face.

“Yes. I really love it. What about you, Your Grace?”

“……Well, I don’t hate it.”

Contrary to his words, Dain’s face was strangely frowning. He had grown up only in the north and had seen snow to the point of being sick of it.

Since members  of the snake clan couldn’t regulate their body temperature, some even hibernated when winter came. He was also part of the snake clan, so he tended to hate snow and winter.

But from now on, he might come to like snow. Since Liana liked it, even the snow he had hated so much didn’t feel particularly repulsive.

“Your Grace?”

Liana, who had been intoxicated by the falling snow, looked at Dain. He was looking down at her silently. His lips gradually approached.

Their tongues were entangled with each other. It was their first kiss.

Dain’s tongue was cold and sharp like snow. Liana wrapped both arms around his neck and deeply entwined her tongue, trying to share warmth with him.

The cold flesh slid and coiled around the moist mucous membrane. Then it sucked in saliva like drinking sweet water and explored her teeth and palate. Liana thought his tongue was like a snake’s and entwined her tongue even deeper.

In the snowy lake, they shared a long kiss.

* * *

“Lady, you have an outing with His Grace this afternoon.”

Early the next morning, Philip came to Liana’s bedroom to inform her of the outing. Dain had already gone to his office.

“Where are we going?”

“I didn’t hear that either.”

“I understand.”

Liana began preparing for the outing after a simple breakfast. She soaked in the bathtub and bathed, then carefully dressed with the help of the maids.

It was her first outing with Dain, and she wanted to pay attention to her appearance.

She wore an ivory day dress with a feathered hat and put on the diamond necklace and earrings that Dain had sent through Aaron.

Dain came down a little early and paced around the lobby. His heart pounded with excitement for his first outing with Liana.

He looked up at the sky to check the weather. Spring seemed to have fully arrived in the north too, with clear skies and warm sunshine.

“Did you wait long?”

Liana’s voice came from behind him. Dain turned around.

“……”

He was momentarily speechless seeing her smiling purely like a light blue hydrangea that had just bloomed. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

“No. I didn’t wait long.”

“Yes.”

Dain approached and took Liana’s hand. He felt her flinch in surprise, putting more strength into the hand holding hers.

“Wow……!”

Liana, who had gotten into the ducal carriage, poured out exclamations while looking at the scenery rapidly passing by outside the window.

The snow that had been piled high along the roadside had melted and was no longer visible. The lined flower trees were tinged with pale green and flower buds were forming.

“What are you thinking about?”

Dain, sitting across from her, asked.

“I’m thinking how fast time passes. It’s already been two months since I came here.”

“……I see.”

Dain said nothing after that. Liana was also busy looking out the window.

The carriage that passed through the fields soon arrived in front of shops lined up in the center.

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

The designer and staff of Madam Melly’s, the largest clothing store in the ducal territory, stood in a line and politely greeted them.

“Hello.”

Liana bowed her head in greeting, unfamiliar with the unexpected hospitality.

“You must be the lady who I heard would come today. Welcome, my lady. I am Melissa, the chief designer of Madam Melly’s.”

The brown-haired designer standing at the front of the group of staff greeted Liana.

Melissa’s clothing store had beautiful and unique designs, so even noble ladies living in the imperial capital would ride carriages for ten days to have clothes made here.

“Hello. Nice to meet you.”

Liana also smiled and greeted her.

“Would you like to sit this way?”

Guided to the VIP room, they sat on sofas, drank tea, and conversed with Melissa.

“Choose a dress and shoes for her to wear to the banquet.”

Dain said. Liana didn’t know what to do and sat silently next to Dain.

“Yes, I understand. Since you have bright skin and beautiful eyes, light blue patterns would suit you. For jewelry to wear, simple pearl necklaces and earrings would be good.”

Melissa showed them a catalog with various dress designs drawn on it and explained enthusiastically.

“Mm, do that.”

When Dain gave his permission, Melissa smiled and looked at Liana.

“Lady, would you come this way?”

Liana followed Melissa to the dressing room with partitions.

Dain waited with a bored expression, drinking tea while Liana tried on clothes. Though he didn’t attend banquets often, all women’s dresses looked the same to his eyes. Therefore, he thought trying on clothes and choosing designs was a waste of time.

Like his own clothing, he could just call the store’s staff to order Liana’s dress, but since this was her first banquet, he had deliberately made time to come together.

Eventually the boring waiting time passed and the partition opened.

“……?”

Liana stood on a slightly elevated round stage wearing a light blue patterned dress. She wore a tiara decorated with pearls on her hair done up in a chignon, and had pearl necklaces and earrings on her slender straight neck and small cute earlobes.

Dain was speechless seeing her fairy-like appearance from a freshly bloomed flower.

“How is it? Your Grace.”

Melissa, who had been smiling while looking at Liana, asked.

“……It’s fine.”

“Thank you. Then with this……”

“I’d like to see other dresses too.”

Unexpected words came from Dain’s mouth, who had thought choosing and trying on dresses was a waste of time just moments before.

“Would you like to? Then please wait a moment.”

Thanks to this, Liana had to change dresses until she was exhausted, showing herself to Dain. He bought all the dresses Liana had worn and also bought several pairs of shoes and jewelry necklaces and earrings.

“Thank you. Dain.”

Leaving the clothing store and riding in the carriage to the restaurant, Liana thanked Dain. It was the first time in her life she had tried on so many dresses.

Dain had even bought several sets of jewelry necklaces and earrings expensive enough to make her jaw drop.

“You don’t need to thank me. You need that much to attend banquets.”

Dain answered in an indifferent tone. In his mind, her fairy-like appearance he had seen in the clothing store kept coming to mind, but he didn’t show it outwardly.

“What food do you like?”

Dain asked. He realized for the first time that he didn’t know what food Liana liked.

“I like chi…… chicken dishes.”

“Chicken?”

She almost unconsciously said chicken. When she hastily changed her words, Dain’s expression became strange. He seemed not to like chicken dishes.

“What kind of chicken dishes do you like?”

“All kinds. Chicken is delicious fried, grilled, or boiled.”

Liana swallowed while thinking of crispy chicken dishes.

“Mm……”

The carriage gradually slowed down, having reached its destination. Getting out of the carriage, they were guided to the restaurant’s VIP room.

A band was playing music on one side of the restaurant, and the scenery of the ducal territory’s center could be seen through the windows.

“It’s pretty.”

Liana said while looking out the window. The night view outside was beautiful like seeing a scene from a fairy tale.

“It is.”

Food was served on the table. Veal steak, grilled snails, sturgeon roe, salmon salad, and chicken dishes too.

“When will we eat all this?”

Liana’s eyes widened.

“Eat slowly.”

Dain answered with a smile.

“Wow, it’s delicious.”

Liana, who first tasted the chicken dish, said with wide eyes.

“Eat a lot.”

A gentle smile bloomed on Dain’s lips. He didn’t know why, but he always felt good when he was with her.

The two who finished their meal walked together along a flower-lined path near the restaurant. Since it was night, the flowers couldn’t be seen in detail, but their fresh fragrance filled the wind.

“It smells nice.”

“They haven’t fully bloomed yet so the fragrance isn’t strong, but they’ll bloom fully in a few days. You seem to like flowers.”

“Yes, I like them.”

“What flowers do you like?”

“All of them.”

When she finished speaking, Dain suddenly held out a small flower to her, having plucked it at some point. It was a flower that looked like white snow blossoms.

“Oh? Thank you.”

Liana, who received the flower from him, stopped and smelled its fragrance.

“It’s pretty. It resembles you.”

Liana said while looking at his face. The white flower resembling Dain’s hair color was also like snowflakes.

“It’s a flower called ‘Imeris’.”

“I see.”

Dain supported Liana’s small head with his large hand and kissed her lips. Liana’s soft and tender tongue moved following his tongue’s movements.

No matter how much they kissed, it felt insufficient. He was becoming addicted to her soft, plump, and red lips.

No, not just her lips—he thought he was already addicted to everything about this small woman.