“Am I imagining things?”

Unable to put her finger on the feeling, Rayenne stopped pondering further and entered the bathroom.

She planned to sleep after a quick shower.

But her modest bedtime plan went completely awry.

‘Gasp!’

Rayenne sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of someone who was absolutely not part of her bedtime plan.

‘Why is Jin here!’

A silent scream was replaced by her mercilessly shaking violet eyes.

At least she was fortunate enough not to let out an unseemly groan.

Jin, who had been sitting at the table in the middle of the room, lifted his head and looked at Rayenne, who had stopped in surprise.

“Um… Did I receive the wrong room directions?”

When she asked while clutching her robe in bewilderment, Jin’s gaze moved back to the documents on the table.

Jin denied it in his characteristically emotionless tone.

“No. I instructed them to guide you to this room.”

“You did?”

“Because this is my room.”

Jin had told them to guide her to his room. Even though Rayenne had heard correctly, she felt like she didn’t understand at all.

When Rayenne stood still without saying anything, Jin added an explanation.

“Since we’re officially married, I thought it would be better to share a room.”

When he put it like that, she couldn’t stubbornly insist they should use separate rooms.

Though Rayenne reluctantly nodded, she couldn’t help her growing confusion.

At the sudden room-sharing situation, Rayenne’s gaze wandered through the air while Jin’s gaze remained fixed on the documents, unmoving.

Before suffocating silence could descend, Rayenne suddenly remembered something to do.

“I’ll go change into my nightclothes inside.”

Not expecting a response, Rayenne hurriedly gathered the nightclothes and underwear prepared on the nightstand beside the bed and went back into the bathroom.

But just as Rayenne was opening the bathroom door, a low answer came from behind.

“Alright.”

From the moment she heard the answer she never thought she’d receive, her pounding heart showed no signs of calming down.

‘We’re only sharing a room because of other people’s eyes, right? Surely not…’

Rayenne recalled what most newlywed couples do on their wedding night and clutched her underwear.

Even the cleanly designed white underwear somehow felt provocative.

But since she couldn’t hole up in the bathroom forever, Rayenne dressed as slowly as possible and quietly grasped the doorknob.

Pouring all her attention into the hand holding the doorknob and turning it smoothly, she saw Jin through the reopened door, still looking at documents.

‘I’m worrying too much by myself. Besides, we promised to divorce…’

They would divorce in a year, so she didn’t think they’d go that far (in their relationship).

Not knowing what to do now, Rayenne’s gaze quickly alternated between the table and the bed when she locked eyes with Jin.

“Um… When will you be sleeping?”

It was something she said with an awkward smile, feeling she had to say something.

But Jin stood up from his seat, leaving behind the pile of documents that looked like they wouldn’t be enough even if he looked at them all night.

The moment Rayenne’s awkward smile was covered with tension at seeing Jin approach her without answering—

“I’ll wash up too.”

His tone was so monotonous it was almost laughable how tense she’d been.

Rayenne, who had unconsciously swallowed, nodded hastily.

“Y-yes!”

When Jin passed Rayenne and entered the bathroom, the room was instantly enveloped in silence.

Rayenne, who looked between the table and bed once more, quickly lay down on the bed.

‘I should fall asleep quickly.’

It was the best way to avoid the awkward situation she’d face again with Jin after he finished washing.

But contrary to Rayenne’s wishes, Jin finished his shower and came out before she could fall asleep.

His quiet footsteps and faintly audible breathing made her acutely aware of Jin’s movements.

Jin, who had circled the bedroom once, finally stood by the nightstand beside the bed and let out a short breath.

Only then did Rayenne realize he had turned off all the lights that had brightly illuminated the bedroom.

The spot beside her sank slightly, and a refreshing scent like deep forest wood wafted over.

From the moment Jin lay down beside her, Rayenne’s already-clenched fists tightened so hard her knuckles turned white.

‘It’s okay. In the original, he never even held Rayenne’s hand.’

Jin was someone who had never gotten close to a woman even once.

He was even someone who later wouldn’t give his mistress so much as a hand, let alone the spot beside him.

Though she didn’t know why they were sharing a room now instead of separate rooms like in the original, she thought Jin’s tendencies couldn’t have changed that much.

Moreover, Jin wasn’t shameless enough to touch someone who was sleeping.

But Rayenne, who had been reassuring herself it was fine, was startled awake with her eyes flying open at the sensation she felt on her chest.

Perhaps Jin was also surprised by this, as he swayed in the posture of pulling up the blanket to cover her.

At the same moment the sound of a short intake of breath brushed past her ear, Jin’s scent rushed in.

Jin, who had lost his balance and was about to fall on top of Rayenne, barely supported himself by bracing his hand.

Without even thinking to avoid the blue eyes hanging right before her nose, Rayenne bit down firmly on her lower lip.

It was something she did because she couldn’t even breathe freely, but it only ended up drawing Jin’s attention.

The gaze that slowly moved to her lips, which were beginning to flush red, somehow seemed a little different from usual.

If Jin’s eyes usually had the color of a clear sky, now they felt heavy and thick.

“I seem to have woken you.”

Weight was added to his voice too, and even the breath touching her skin seemed to carry that weight.

Unable to bear that weight any longer, Rayenne slightly turned her head to the side.

“Ah… I must have dozed off.”

Rayenne’s lips, which she’d been biting until now, were incredibly red.

Jin quietly watched as her slightly swollen lips moved in small motions while responding.

For some reason, he didn’t seem inclined to move from above Rayenne.

“Your Grace?”

When she turned her head back straight and called him, Jin’s gaze slowly rose to meet her eyes.

His faintly trembling eyes were too intense, so Rayenne ended up closing her eyes tightly.

At that moment, Rayenne realized that when your heart beats too violently, you can hear it in your own ears.

The sensation heated by her violently beating heart focused solely on him.

The breath transmitted to her skin, the warmth, even the gaze beyond her eyelids.

Each of Jin’s small movements became a great stimulus, seemingly etched vividly.

Feeling like she might suffocate if she stayed like this any longer, Rayenne whispered with her eyes tightly closed.

“Good night, Your Grace.”

Hearing those words, Jin raised his body and lay down properly, just as she wished.

At the presence now felt lying side by side beside her, Rayenne secretly let out a sigh of relief.

“Good night, my lady.”

Rayenne, who had been trying hard not to be conscious of him, barely managed to resist her eyes from flying wide open again.

My lady!

At that unfamiliar and strange form of address, her heart pounded violently once more.

“…Yes.”

Worried her heart might jump right out of her mouth, Rayenne could only answer in a mosquito-like voice.

***

The wedding ceremony and reception that happened today passed quickly. Rayenne quietly watched a situation slightly different from what she had experienced.

“I’ll guide you to the room where you’ll be staying from now on, my lady.”

Stark spoke stiffly and led the way.

Though it should have been the same night, it felt somehow dark and unpleasant.

The place they arrived at next wasn’t in front of Jin’s room with its magnificent decorations carved on it, but in front of an antique-brown door that merely felt old-fashioned.

Stark opened the door like before and gestured inside.

“This is the room where you’ll be staying from now on, my lady.”

Rayenne finally became certain of the identity of the dissonance she’d been feeling.

She was dreaming about the contents of the original story.

After Stark left, a situation similar to before continued. But the original Rayenne, who came out after showering, sat on the bed with a shy face and waited for Jin.

But as night deepened, dawn passed, and morning dimly brightened, Jin never came to find her.

Strangely, Rayenne’s chest, watching this quietly, gradually tightened.

Even when the original Rayenne, who had finally greeted morning alone, got up from her seat at a small commotion outside the window and opened it, even when she endlessly gazed out the window at Jin’s retreating back as he left the ducal estate, Rayenne felt her chest hurt so much she wanted to cry.

Even though when she’d read it as a book, she’d only thought it was frustrating, calling it foolish.

The original Rayenne, who merely gazed endlessly at Jin’s retreating back, gradually disappeared into darkness along with the surrounding scenery.

***

The first thing she felt upon waking was the cool sensation wetting the corners of her eyes.

When she raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, tears came away dampening them.

Rayenne, who lifted her heavy eyelids, widened her eyes.

Jin’s sleeping face was right there at a not-too-distant distance.

‘What a shock. Right, this was his room.’

Having almost screamed in surprise, Rayenne bit her lips firmly and secretly examined Jin’s sleeping face.

His brilliant blond hair was deep in color like it had been wet with dew, and his blue-shining eyes were hidden beneath smooth skin.

‘It’s like this in the original too. Then Rayenne must have stayed up all night feeling excited.’

Not staying up the night alone and lonely waiting for him.

When that thought occurred to her, she somehow felt spiteful.

She was already completely awake, and in her petty spite she didn’t want to lie in the same bed with Jin anymore, so Rayenne quickly got out of bed.

Since it would be awkward if they ran into each other for no reason, she planned to quickly wash up, finish breakfast, and then visit the place the original Rayenne had loved most.

But Rayenne’s resolute plan unfortunately ended up falling through.

Clatter.

The fork that had been moving in clean lines made a small noise as it was laid down.