If she had slept peacefully without nightmares, this unfortunate incident wouldn’t have happened.

Her body, still carrying traces of tears, created small vibrations in his arms.

Though it was truly awkward, he patted Lucilia’s back to make her stop crying quickly.

He planned to detach her once she calmed down and escape to the edge of the bed.

Despite patting her with considerable care, not only did her trembling not subside, but now occasional hiccups of “hic” were mixed into her breathing as if they had become part of it.

“Haa, you must have been terribly frightened.”

What kind of horrible dream was she having?

He kept sighing involuntarily.

His harsh intention to push her away melted like candle wax.

This meant he had no choice but to comfort her longer.

She wouldn’t cry until daybreak, so he decided to be patient.

If he had known he would have to fight this difficult battle until morning, he wouldn’t have shown compassion in the first place.

Her fragrant scent and soft touch continuously provoked his l*st.

He spent the entire night wrestling with the surging desire.

He had tried so hard not to be dominated by instinct that he developed a headache.

Aaron held Lucilia with one arm while adjusting his pillow with the other and closed his eyes.

* * *

Morning sunlight squeezed through the curtain gap and pricked her eyelids.

Lucilia only fluttered her eyelashes lightly, keeping her eyes closed to feel the tranquility longer.

But why was it so warm?

His bed was unusually cool. She had never felt such coziness, having spent nights alone in a bed full of coldness.

It seemed she had adapted, as she had slept deeply for the first time in a long while.

It had been so long since she felt sleep was as sweet as honey.

A happy smile hung at the corners of Lucilia’s lips.

Her sleep had been so restless lately that even when she slept, it didn’t feel like she had.

She also had frequent nightmares. Every morning she was always tired, as if she had actually been running while escaping in her dreams.

But today, her body felt light as a feather and her mood was refreshed.

It was completely different from yesterday when she had endured loneliness in the quiet bedroom.

It seemed that if she stretched while basking in the bright sunlight, even the remaining drowsiness would be completely dispelled.

Her thin eyelids slowly lifted.

Her orange eyes, soaked in sweet emotion, sparkled with satisfaction.

“Yawn, I slept well.”

Lucilia, opening her eyes in a half-asleep state, frowned as she recognized a wall that suddenly blocked her view.

Aaron’s bedroom was structured so that neither side of the bed touched the wall.

‘Did I fall asleep somewhere else…’

No, that couldn’t be.

She vividly remembered being so nervous about sleeping with Aaron that her limbs had stiffened.

She needed to wake up fully first and then carefully retrace her memories from the beginning.

But for some reason, when she tried to stretch, her arm was tightly caught in something and wouldn’t move.

They say when a person is pressed by a ghost, they can’t move at all, as if tied with ropes.

Could that be happening to me now?

The result of being away from the temple, which was like a sanctuary for her soul, was this devastating.

Her heart sank instantly.

She should not have neglected her prayers.

If she had at least faithfully kept her time of reflection, she wouldn’t have been deluded by such things.

In despair, Lucilia put strength into her neck, which she could still move.

It was the moment when she bent her head back and raised her gaze.

“Gasp.”

The light drowsiness that had clung to her flew away in an instant. Her mind became clear as she became fully alert.

What she clearly saw in front of her was Aaron.

That much she understood precisely, but there was another problem.

She couldn’t understand why his face was so close.

Was she still not awake from her dream? Perhaps what she thought was becoming alert was also a dream.

She squeezed her eyes shut until wrinkles formed on her eyelids.

When she opened her eyes again, praying it wasn’t an illusion:

Aaron’s eyes were looking directly at her.

His gray eyes, as solid as if they were part of a stone building, didn’t move at all.

When their formless gazes met, Aaron’s thoughts crossed over to her.

This man…

‘He’s flustered.’

For Aaron Artnal, who was like an iron fortress, emotional fluctuation was nothing but an unnecessary obstacle.

But now he was not just flustered—boyish, innocent emotions were surging, leaving her dumbfounded.

The arm that had been binding her was slowly released.

She couldn’t understand why Aaron had slept embracing her.

He wasn’t the type to reach out first, so what wind had blown to make him do this?

As she opened her mouth in bewilderment, Aaron pressed his temple firmly and got up.

“Let me be clear, I was the one who was victimized.”

“Victimized?”

Wasn’t the connotation quite strange?

‘What did I do to him to be ‘victimized’?’

Although she couldn’t remember, Aaron’s righteous attitude made her feel dishonored.

Honestly, she did admire Aaron’s exceptional appearance every time without guile.

But truly, she swore to God, she had never thought of touching him with any intentions.

When she pouted her lips sulkily, Aaron pointed to her face where tears had dried white.

“You clung to me while crying.”

“C-clung? Me?”

“I’m not base enough to make up stories. I’m telling you this because I’m concerned you might misunderstand that I did something terrible.”

With his temperature rising, he fled outside the blanket, fluttering his robe collar.

No, how can he just leave after saying that?

This makes it seem like I really did something terrible to Aaron.

Lucilia’s lips opened urgently.

“I was c-cold.”

“…”

“I’ll tell you now, I’ve been cold sleeping in this bed all along. When half-asleep, my body might have moved unconsciously seeking warmth. So I hope the young baron doesn’t misunderstand either.”

“I suppose so.”

It was such a plain response that it was deflating.

Did he really understand?

Lucilia asked again with precise pronunciation.

“You really don’t misunderstand?”

“Since you explain that you didn’t pounce on me, I understand that you didn’t.”

He completely put up a wall as if no more words were needed. That made her feel even more uneasy.

Aaron’s expression was so…

Like a victim’s.

But it was clear that further defense would be futile, so she couldn’t say a word until he changed his clothes and left the bedroom.

She wanted to help her husband change, but for his sake, she didn’t get out of bed.

Lucilia rushed out of the room when she was looking out the window to alleviate her boredom.

A leaf that had fallen from a dry branch rolled on the soil.

As she was watching the scene of it dancing a waltz, spinning round and round in the wind, she saw an unfamiliar figure in the distance.

Lucilia’s eyes narrowed.

The image of a boy running energetically with a large bag slung diagonally across his shoulder came into clear focus.

As if she had never been troubled, joy filled the corners of her mouth.

Her hand gripping the windowsill turned white with pressure.

“The messenger has returned!”

He wouldn’t come back empty-handed, would he?

He must have received a reply from her father.

How long would she have to wait before she could return to the main residence?

She had been patient all this time, but now that she thought the letter had arrived, her body was burning with curiosity.

She fidgeted with her clasped hands, then shook her head after considering waiting in the room.

Once impatience began, it was impossible to endure.

Whether she received it now or later, it was a letter addressed to her anyway.

Lucilia grabbed her skirt hem so it wouldn’t drag.

She rushed from the bedroom to the reception room, and from there to the hallway.

Running down the stairs with loud thuds might appear frivolous, but she didn’t care about people’s judgments.

Let them criticize if they want.

She had been criticized so much until now that she felt like bursting. What difference would a little more make?

In the blink of an eye, Lucilia reached the first floor and raised her hand high toward the messenger who was just entering the entrance.

“You brought news from the capital, right? Isn’t that so?”

“Yes, madam. I’m on my way back with a reply from the Marquis.”

“My goodness! You’ve worked so hard. Thank you so much.”

Lucilia repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the messenger boy who was awkwardly scratching his flat cap.

It was the first time she had smiled so brightly since coming to Tudra. She looked so innocent it was hard to believe she was the person who had pounced on the young baron last night.

“Give me the letter quickly.”

Lucilia, extremely excited, held out both hands.

The boy rummaged through his worn leather bag and pulled out an envelope.

The sealing wax stamped with the Marquis’s seal was clearly visible on the surface.

Unable to hide her joy, she took one step closer.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the envelope:

“Madam, excuse me.”

The letter in the boy’s hand was sucked into Hans’s hand.