The man’s violet eyes were dark with color. Anais nodded as though in a trance, and the man lifted her easily and settled her on his lap before continuing the kiss.

It would have been best if they spent the night that way, but he found out it was her first time, and he said that wasn’t what he wanted.

Regrettably, that was the end of her connection with Killian.

Lily, seeing Anais return, widened her eyes, but quickly composed her expression and attended to her.

But while helping Anais change, she caught sight of the red marks left on Anais’s body and finally asked.

“What on earth happened, Miss? I thought you weren’t coming back tonight……”

Anais smiled faintly.

“He said he didn’t want to because it was my first time.”

Lily’s expression crumpled. Her thoughts were written all over her face, and Anais let out a small laugh.

“What kind of ridiculous excuse is that? Forget it. It’s not like we’re missing out either! You’ll just meet someone better, won’t you, Miss?”

“Yes, you’re right. Lily, I’m fine, so don’t worry. I just want to sleep.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The anger she felt faded a little at the sight of Lily fuming on her behalf. Just as Lily said, there would be plenty of men who liked her, even if none were quite like him.

Anais changed her clothes and lay straight down on the bed. The day was so long that sleep came quickly.

* * *

“Miss, what’s gotten into you, sleeping in so late? It’s already afternoon!”

Sunlight poured into the bedroom through the drawn curtains. Unlike yesterday’s rain, today the sun blazed brilliantly. It was the kind of weather that made the fact of being in the south feel real.

Lily drew back the curtains and opened the window. A wave of hot air swept in and filled the bedroom. The hot, heavy wind carried the smell of salt. It was why she chose a villa close to the sea on purpose. The corners of Anais’s lips curved up slightly.

Anais’s lashes fluttered a few times before slowly lifting. Sunlight flooded her pale blue eyes. She pushed herself upright and leaned back against the headboard.

“…… Mmm.”

A groan escaped on its own. The long journey wore her out, and the encounter with Killian the day before seemed to have drained her as well. She slept in until the sun was overhead, which was unlike her.

Lily came over and held out a glass of lemon water. The lemon water with ice was cool and refreshing. The condensation against her palm wasn’t unpleasant either. Lily chattered away excitedly at her side.

“Still, I think it’s wonderful, Miss! They say people in the south start their days late anyway.”

The day in Solean began later than in other cities.

It was a fact every citizen of Fiorenza knew. The people here, who enjoyed festivals and entertainment deep into the night, didn’t come out until the sun went down. Especially in the hot summer.

Lily took the empty lemon water glass and brought over the invitations that arrived for Anais, spreading them out in front of her.

“Which party will you be attending today, Miss?”

Anais wasn’t the type to enjoy banquets or parties even back in the capital, so Lily was thrilled and delighted that her mistress came all the way to Solean for the summer social season. Lily’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched Anais look over the invitations.

Slender fingers moved slowly through the invitations. Then she picked out the most lavish envelope and drew it out. She slit it open with the paper knife beside her and took out the card.

A party at Grand Duke Visconti’s summer villa. The most lavish, and no doubt the one with the most people.

Would that man be there too…

The thought crossed her mind briefly, but she let it go. Whether he attended or not was none of her concern. Her mind made up, Anais handed the invitation to Lily.

“This one.”

“Yes, Miss. I’ll get everything ready.”

Anais didn’t begin getting ready until afternoon. She went out for a walk after eating, but the sun was so fierce that even a parasol wasn’t enough, and she ended up returning to the villa.

It was a place that made a person languid and lazy. Anais even lingered longer than usual in her bath, laughing to herself before sitting down at the vanity.

“You’re considerably fairer than the people here, so I was thinking of playing that up a little. Would that be all right?”

“Yes. Do as you like, Lily.”

Lily combed her platinum hair smooth and tied it in a low bun, leaving a few strands to fall naturally on either side of her ears. After finishing with hair pins of sapphire and silver with a blue tint, Anais rose to change.

The dress was already chosen. A deep midnight blue, close to the color of a night sky. The hem was embroidered in fine silver thread, designed to look like moonlight breaking across the waters of Solean.

She put on neat white lace silk gloves that came to her elbows, and she was ready. The makeup, jewels, and dress all served to bring out the cool, striking quality of her appearance.

She couldn’t help but stand out.

“Have a wonderful time, Miss! You absolutely must!”

Lily’s spirited send-off finally drew a small laugh from Anais. The girl knew everything about what happened between her and Louis, so it made sense she would say something like that.

“I will.”

Anais walked to the carriage at an unhurried pace.

Solean was a place with plenty to enjoy just watching from the carriage window. A place that grew livelier as night fell. They said the banquets and parties here weren’t bound by formality. That Grand Duke Visconti would appear at some point, laugh and mingle, then vanish without a trace.

Anais arrived at Grand Duke Visconti’s summer villa and entered alone, guided by a footman. She felt the eyes of the lively, glittering ballroom turn toward her.

In a sea of red and yellow dresses, Anais stood out without question. A lady came over with a glass of champagne and held it out to her. Anais tilted her head in greeting and accepted the glass.

“My, you must have come from the capital?”

“Yes, that’s right. This is my first time in Solean.”

Interest gathered in the eyes of the woman who spoke to her.

“Then this must be your first time seeing Grand Duke Visconti too?”

“Yes. What kind of person is he?”

His notorious reputation aside, she was genuinely curious. What kind of man was the master of the south, the one whose presence made itself felt all the way to the distant capital? She was curious what kind of person he was.

A man well past marriageable age who had neither married nor even gotten engaged. Currently the sole headache of the king of Fiorenza.

And yet he drew every conversation to himself. Even Anais, who rarely attended banquets, always heard the man’s rumors. The lady noticed curiosity stir in Anais’s pale blue eyes, which had seemed empty until now, and smiled.

“Beyond anything you could imagine, I’m sure. He’ll probably show himself soon. I wonder who he’ll be leaving with tonight. Hmm.”

The prim lady looked Anais over slowly. Snow-white skin, clean platinum hair, pale blue eyes. Features rarely seen in the south. Probably not common even in the capital.

Would the woman in front of her become Grand Duke Visconti’s companion tonight? The lady studied Anais with narrowed eyes and parted her lips.

“Oh, there he is. That’s Grand Duke Visconti.”

She followed the excited lady’s gaze and a tall man came into view. And at the same moment, Anais let out a quiet laugh.

Because Killian was standing there.

He was already looking at her. He offered a greeting by tilting his head slightly. A subtle acknowledgment that no one else would notice. Anais barely managed to swallow a hollow laugh.

He was Grand Duke Visconti. Anais ran into the city’s greatest libertine the moment she arrived in Solean. He was more put together than when they met yesterday, but the man was unmistakably free-spirited.

“Grand Duke Visconti is looking at you, my lady. Would you like to go over?”

Anais shook her head. She chose to move away from Grand Duke Visconti’s line of sight. It was already a finished thing between them.

Their eyes met a few more times after that, but nothing more. Anais wiped away even the small trace of lingering regret. A woman like her would only be dull to a man like him. His words about not wanting to because it was her first time finally made sense to her now.

He probably didn’t want her acting like they were something special after being together. That would never happen anyway. There was no point in saying so. As for his gaze, which kept finding her… she didn’t know the reason.

Anais turned her eyes away and looked at the man standing before her. Skin bronzed to a pleasant shade, dark blond hair, green eyes. Not bad.